Karnataka has raised bus fares for state-run transport services, increasing KSRTC ticket prices by 23% and BMTC fares by 35%. The revised fares will come into effect from Wednesday night, according to an order issued by the state government and details shared by Transport Minister Byrathi Suresh.
The fare revision affects passengers using the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) and the Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC). The minister announced the decision at a media conference after the state Cabinet determined that fare increases were necessary because all four state transport corporations were facing losses.
For BMTC passengers, the minimum ticket price has been increased from ₹6 to ₹10, while the maximum fare has risen from ₹35 to ₹40. The revised fares also apply to Vajra services, BMTC’s premium bus network. The minimum Vajra fare will increase from ₹15 to ₹20, and the maximum fare will rise from ₹75 to ₹90.
The government’s decision places the fare burden directly on daily public transport users in Bengaluru and on passengers travelling through Karnataka’s state-run bus network. BMTC services are used for city commutes across Bengaluru, while KSRTC operates intercity and regional services linking the state’s towns and cities. The revised fares therefore affect both urban travel within Bengaluru and longer-distance bus journeys across Karnataka.
The government has cited the financial condition of the four state transport corporations as the reason for the increase. The decision follows a recent Cabinet discussion in which the fare revision was considered unavoidable because the corporations were incurring losses. The transport department has now implemented that decision through the order announced on Wednesday.
The announcement comes shortly after an increase in milk prices, adding another price change to household budgets. The source report did not provide the revised fare charts for every KSRTC route or details of any accompanying subsidy, service improvement plan or financial restructuring measure for the transport corporations.
For passengers, the immediate change will be visible at ticket counters and on bus services once the revised rates take effect tonight. BMTC commuters will face the clearest change on short trips, with the minimum ordinary-service fare rising by ₹4, while users of Vajra buses will pay ₹5 more at the minimum fare. The government has not provided further implementation details in the information available in the announcement.
