BENGALURU: Yashwanth K, a software engineer from Mysuru who works in Bengaluru, usually travels back home during weekends to spend time with his parents. Since AC buses are comfortable, Yashwanth chooses to travel by an Airavat bus, and doesn’t mind shelling out Rs 305 to do so. However, the software engineer is often irked when he is asked to pay Rs 310 instead, since the Karnataka State Road Trasport Corporation (KSRTC) rounds off Rs 5 when issuing a bus ticket.
“The base fare of the bus between Mysuru and Bengaluru is Rs 290 and I pay an additional Rs 15 as GST. Why should I cough up an extra Rs 5? It feels like a new trick to avoid giving people their change,” he said.
Other passengers too have complained that the KSRTC rounds off Rs 5 and collects Rs 310 instead of Rs 305.
Venkatesh Kharidi, executive committee member, Mysore Grahaka Parishat (MGP), said, “It is surprising to see a ‘round off’ amount mentioned on a bill, that too by government subsidiaries. We usually see such transactions in vegetable or grocery markets but they too generally add an extra vegetable to compensate for the rounding off.” He further added that the MGP was ready to address the issue with the KSRTC if they get an official communication.
However, when CE contacted a senior KSRTC official, he said there was no question of a violation happening here as the fare is as per the provisions in the government notification and thus they are permitted to round off Rs 5 in the ticket.
Ashok Kumar, KSRTC Divisional Controller, Mysuru (Rural), confirmed that there is a provision to round off money as per the GST circular issued in 2017 by the state government. Commuters, however, still expressed their displeasure with the issue on social media too, with some even calling it an ‘utterly robbery from passengers.’
According to a KSRTC official at a suburban bus stand in Mysuru, over 80 Airavat services run on a daily basis between the two cities. On average, 20 passengers travel on each bus, which totals to over 1,500 passengers travelling daily, all of whom are charged Rs 5 extra.