Sun Sep 21 13:24:22 UTC 2025: **Summary:**
The Karnataka government is proposing an amendment to the Karnataka Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, to establish a Public Transport Fare Regulatory Committee, similar to the Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC), to streamline fare revisions for state-run transport corporations. The committee will comprise a retired Additional Chief Secretary or a retired High Court judge as chairperson, along with two members (one with a legal background and one financial expert), and the Managing Director of KSRTC as the member-secretary. The committee will study the financial health of transport corporations, recommend fare revisions, suggest measures to improve efficiency and sustainability, and submit an annual report to the State government. The public is invited to submit objections or suggestions within 30 days. This aims to address the current lengthy and complex process of fare revision proposals by individual corporations.
**News Article:**
**Karnataka to Streamline Public Transport Fares with New Regulatory Committee**
**Bengaluru, September 21, 2025** – The Karnataka government is set to overhaul the process of fare revisions for state-run public transport corporations with the proposed establishment of a Public Transport Fare Regulatory Committee, mirroring the structure of the Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC).
The proposed amendment to the Karnataka Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, aims to create a more efficient and streamlined mechanism for adjusting fares for corporations like KSRTC and BMTC. Currently, each corporation must individually submit proposals to the state government, leading to a lengthy and complex approval process.
According to a KSRTC release, the newly formed committee will be comprised of a retired Additional Chief Secretary or a retired High Court judge as chairperson, alongside two members: a retired Principal Secretary or Secretary with a legal background, and an industry or financial expert. The Managing Director of KSRTC will serve as the member-secretary.
The committee’s core responsibilities will include analyzing the financial health of transport corporations, recommending fare revisions and surcharges, and suggesting measures to enhance operational efficiency and financial sustainability. Corporations can submit fare hike proposals to the committee, which will then review them before adoption.
“This initiative is designed to address the current cumbersome process and ensure a fairer and more transparent system for fare revisions,” an official within the Transport Department stated. “The new body will be empowered to take decisions, reducing the burden on individual corporations.”
The committee members will serve a three-year term, with remuneration equivalent to their last drawn salary. The committee is required to meet at least once every three months and submit an annual report of its recommendations to the State government, which will be presented before both Houses of the Legislature.
The government has invited public feedback on the proposed changes within the next 30 days. Objections and suggestions can be submitted to the Secretary to Government, Transport Department, in Bengaluru. The draft rules were notified on September 9 and will come into effect after final approval.
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