Representative image of KSRTC buses.
Credit: DH File Photo
Mangaluru: Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) under the ticket fare rounding-off system had collected Rs 1,57,52,210 from passengers travelling in its premium buses, according to information obtained under RTI from KSRTC.
KSRTC in order to resolve the problems arising while tendering exact change to customers issued a standing order (774/2016) on March 3, 2016, to implement rounding-off system in 785 schedules belonging to premium category (Airavat, Rajahamsa, Vaibhav and EV power plus) from April 15, 2016 onwards.
"A fare of Rs 51 to Rs 54 should be rounded off to Rs 50 and a fare of Rs 55 to Rs 59 should be rounded off to Rs 60. The rounding off system was also extended to Awatar counter booking and Electronic ticketing machines. The accounts department should create a separate account head to account surplus/deficit revenue from rounding-off fares," the order stated.
According to the information obtained under RTI by DH, Mysuru rural division topped the list of 16 divisions with the highest ever `surplus revenue' of Rs 55,56,971.20 collected from rounding off fares of passengers. Bengaluru central division and Mangaluru division trailed behind with a surplus revenue of Rs 52,73,560 and Rs 18,21,165 respectively.
Some divisions like Puttur had collected a revenue of Rs 125 from 2016 upto 2025 (April). The division by projecting a deficit revenue of Rs -62 appears to be passenger-friendly. Chickkamagalur among the KSRTC depots had the highest deficit revenue of Rs -19,624, documents obtained under RTI revealed.
"The practice of rounding off fractions of a rupee like Rs 35.40 to the nearest Rs 35 is acceptable. But rounding off a whole number like Rs 36 to Rs 40, which is a 14.3 % increase, is unfair and amounts to systematic exploitation of passengers," emphasised B Radheshyam who had filed successive complaints against rounding-off policy to Mangaluru KSRTC.
The rounding off policy, though withdrawn by KSRTC on Friday, continues to be criticised on social media. A netizen wondered how the CM who had condemned Railways for increasing the fare by one paise per kilometer, overlooked KSRTC's unjust rounding-off policy ?
Another netizen also took the opposition BJP to task for failing to protest against KSRTC's daylight extortion of public.