Bengaluru: State-run transport corporations the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC), Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) and others withdrew their 18 percent hike in bus fares moments after announcing it on Monday. The transport department had given the go-ahead for a fare hike only on Monday evening and the chief minister’s office was informed about the fare revision coming into effect from Monday midnight. But CM H.D. Kumaraswamy ordered the transport department to hold back the bus fare hike for some more time, saying that he had slashed cess on petrol and diesel by Rs 2 cess only on Monday, sources said.
“We received the green signal for a fare hike from the transport department on Monday evening. But we were shocked when we were asked to hold it back by the CM’s office without giving any particular reason. State-run transport corporations are finding it difficult to run the services with the current fares even for a day. All four corporations are facing huge losses because of increasing diesel prices. We do not have any option but to wait for the next order by the government," a senior KSRTC official told Deccan Chronicle.
