Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SP)

Bengaluru, Aug 6: The transport department has issued a notification as per which bus fares of stage carriage private buses have been hiked by 15 per cent.

Within the limits of city corporations (Bengaluru, Mysuru, Hubballi-Dharwad, Belagavi and Mangaluru), the fare for the stage 1 (first two km) has been fixed at Rs 8, Rs 5.75 for the second stage and Rs 3.50 for later stages. The fare will be 1.5 times the normal fare between 10 pm and 6 am.

The department has left the matter of fixing bus fares in respect of buses of state transport corporations within the cities to the discretion of the respective corporations.

For ordinary service buses in other routes, the fare will be Rs 9.50 for the first stage of 6.5 km, and Rs 1 per kilometre thereafter. For super deluxe buses with cushion seats and headrests, the rate fixed is Rs 13 for the first stage, Rs 14 for the hi-tech buses and Rs 1.60 for every kilometre thereafter.

If the rush of passengers is more during weekends and festival seasons, the buses have been given the freedom to charge up to double the normal fares. Fixing of bus fare for inter-state air-conditioned buses based on demand has been left to the discretion of the bus operators and state transport corporations. The buses have been allowed to collect not only the bus fare but also the toll charges from the passengers.

The government has issued notification now on a decision announced two months back. Sadanand Chatra, general secretary of the Union of Karnataka Bus Owners Associations, said that the bus operators had sought permission for bus fare hike on account of the need to maintain social distancing when carrying people, but the same has not been entertained.