The Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC), Karnataka’s inter-state bus service, on Wednesday decided to hike bus fares on its Bengaluru to Mysuru routes after toll collection began at the newly inaugurated Bengaluru-Mysuru expressway.
The government-run transport corporation set a ₹15 fee for passengers travelling on its Sarige buses, ₹18 for those on Rajahamsa buses, and ₹20 on multi-axle and other buses, several reports said.
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The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) began collecting toll for the Bengaluru to Nidaghatta section (55 kms) on the ambitious 10-lane Bengaluru-Mysuru expressway on Tuesday morning. The KSRTC hiked bus fares as the NHAI set a toll fee of ₹220 for mini-buses and ₹460 for buses for a one-way journey on the expressway. That meant trucks and buses with two axles will have to pay ₹690 for a round trip within 24 hours.
However, the extra fees will be charged to only those bus passengers who will travel on the expressway, the KSRTC told reporters.
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The toll fee for the Bengaluru to Nidaghatta stretch has been set at ₹135 for cars, whereas the toll from Maddur to Mysuru will be ₹120, taking the total toll fees on the expressway to ₹255.
The Bengaluru-Mysuru expressway was inaugurated by prime minister Narendra Modi on Sunday. The 118-km expressway was built at the cost of ₹8,408 crore and is expected to reduce travel time between Bengaluru and Mysuru from 3.5 hours to around 1.5 hours.
