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.
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.

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.