Karnataka transport fare hike panel to submit report soon

The committee headed by retired IAS officer Atul Kumar Tiwari and constituted to examine a proposed hike in bus fares of Karnataka’s State-owned transport corporations is expected to submit its report to the government in a few days, Transport Minister Byrathi Suresh said on Wednesday (September 30).

Speaking to reporters after a joint review meeting of the Home and Transport departments at Vikas Soudha, chaired by Home Minister Priyank Kharge and Mr. Suresh, the Transport Minister said a fare revision had become necessary as the transport corporations were facing severe financial difficulties.

Mr. Suresh said that the committee had studied the financial condition of all the State transport corporations and would submit its recommendations shortly. The report will be placed before the Cabinet for discussion, following which a decision on revising bus fares will be taken with the approval of Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, he said.

The Minister attributed the financial strain on the transport corporations to rising diesel prices. He claimed that the BJP-led Union government had increased diesel prices four times in the past year, resulting in a ₹15–₹16 per litre increase and an annual loss of around ₹8,000 crore to the State transport corporations.

Meanwhile, the government has decided to procure 4,500 electric buses for the BMTC in collaboration with the Union government. The buses will be introduced in phases and are expected to help ease Bengaluru’s traffic congestion, Mr. Suresh said.