BENGALURU | September 3, 2026 — Goods vehicles entering Bengaluru’s KR Market may soon face an entry fee of up to Rs 350 under a proposed smart gate and digital fee-collection system being prepared for the wholesale market. The charges are part of a proposed 10-year arrangement to manage market entry and exit, but the Greater Bengaluru Authority has not yet finalised when the system will begin.
Under the proposed tariff structure, trucks and goods vehicles with six or more wheels would pay Rs 350 for each entry-exit. Four-wheel goods vehicles would be charged Rs 100, while three-wheelers would pay Rs 75. The fees would apply in addition to a separate charge based on the goods brought into the market.
Fruits, vegetables, flowers, greens, coconuts and other specified agricultural and commercial produce would attract a fee of Rs 5 per bag or bundle. Poultry products, including eggs, as well as meat and seafood products, would be charged at Rs 10 per box or tray, according to the proposal reported by Deccan Herald.
The proposed system is intended to digitise market entry and fee collection, improve monitoring of goods movement and reduce revenue leakage. Payments would be enabled through UPI, QR codes, cards, point-of-sale machines and FASTag. Electronic receipts would be generated for completed transactions.
The proposed charges have drawn objections from traders, who said they had not received official communication about the rules. A wholesale decorative-items shop owner said traders had not been consulted despite the proposal affecting thousands of livelihoods.
“No one from the government has reached out to us. How can they make a decision that impacts thousands of livelihoods without having a discussion with us? They can’t just come up with these rules,” the shop owner said.
GM Diwakar, president of the KR Market Flower Merchants’ Association, said the charges could affect more than 2,000 sellers at the market as well as farmers who supply produce. He said sellers would not be the only group bearing the additional cost.
The fees could increase operating expenses for traders and transporters making frequent trips to the wholesale market. The additional cost could also affect commodity prices if traders pass the charges on to buyers rather than absorbing them.
A senior GBA official told Deccan Herald that the start date for the proposed rules had not been decided. The official also confirmed that a tender for the smart gate and fee-collection system had been floated. No final implementation timeline has been announced.
