Fare hike: Commuters fume, BMTC conductors face music

Bus crews said they were at the receiving end of passengers’ anger. Several bus conductors told this newspaper that passengers were angry at them for revising the fare when it hasn't even been a year since the last fare revision. Fares were last increased immediately after the new government was formed in the state.

A conductor on the Majestic-Electronic city route said that passengers were not ready to pay the new fare. "The rate revision announcement was made last night. Many passengers were not aware of this revision. They began questioning us. We had a difficult time trying to convince them to pay," he said.

Passengers upset: Passengers accuse the state government and the corporation of planning the fare hike well in advance and announcing it at the right time post the elections. "The Lok Sabha election is over and there is no other election for the next few months. So they decided to revise the fare. This revision has been made within a year of the last revision. This is undemocratic," said Mr Purushottam Prabhu, who travels daily by bus.

"This will further worsen the life of the poor and lower middle class families," said Ms. Leelakshi Gowda, an executive working with a private firm. "KSRTC and BMTC were set up to provide affordable services. But now they have become very costly," she pointed out.

Sources say KSRTC too has proposed a similar increase in ticket fares, "but the government may not give permission till the next few days. Due to the diesel price hike, all transport corporations are incurring huge losses," said an officer from the corporation.