KSRTC Revises Unaccompanied Luggage Charges; New Rates Effective Feb 16

Bengaluru, Feb 15: The Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) has announced a revision in charges for unaccompanied luggage transported in its buses. The new rates will come into effect from February 16, according to an official order issued by KSRTC Managing Director Akram Pasha.

The corporation clarified that the revision applies only to luggage transported without passengers and does not affect regular passenger ticket fares. The decision comes in view of rising operational expenses, including increased diesel prices, staff salaries and other maintenance costs.

In the official communication, KSRTC stated that the last revision of luggage charges was carried out in 2021. While passenger ticket fares were reviewed subsequently, the luggage tariffs had remained unchanged. Considering the growing financial burden on the transport utility, the management has now decided to rationalise and increase the rates for unaccompanied baggage.

As per the revised structure, the charges have been marginally increased across various stages of travel. For distances covering 1 to 5 stages, the luggage fee has been raised to ₹6 from the earlier ₹5. For 6 to 12 stages, the rate has been increased to ₹12, up from ₹10. In long-distance categories, such as 156 to 160 stages, the charge has been revised to ₹145 from the previous ₹123.

Officials said the hike is aimed at partially offsetting operational costs while ensuring that essential services continue without disruption. KSRTC, one of the largest state-run transport corporations in the country, operates thousands of services daily across Karnataka and to neighbouring states, handling significant passenger and parcel movement.

The announcement comes days after speculation circulated on social media about a possible increase in bus ticket fares. The corporation had earlier issued a clarification denying any hike in passenger ticket prices, terming the reports as rumours.

With the revised luggage rates now officially notified, KSRTC has urged customers and commercial users to take note of the updated tariff structure from February 16 onwards.