Bus fare hike avoidable had Karnataka government cleared its own dues: BJP

Leader of the Opposition R. Ashok. | Photo Credit: SUDHAKARA JAIN Taking serious exception to the hike in bus fare of Karnataka’s State-run RTCs, the Opposition BJP has argued that there was no need for a hike if the government had cleared its own dues to the tune of ₹5,650.95 crore towards transport corporations.Addressing a press conference, Leader of the Opposition R. Ashok alleged that “the government has acted wrongly by choosing to shift the burden on people instead of clearing the outstanding amount.”He announced that the BJP will hold a statewide protest on November 5 against the bus fare hike. Intense protests will be held in all district headquarters and in Bengaluru, Mr. Ashok said. He described the hike as arbitrary while stating that it has touched a high of 40% in some cases.“The Congress government has raised bus fares in a manner which is more disgraceful than the Tughlaq regime. No previous government has ever increased fares to this extent,” he remarked.“Even though Deepavali is a festival of lights, this year it has turned out to be a festival of darkness due to the hike,” he alleged. Published - November 04, 2026 05:19 pm IST