Gujarat's road transport body announces 3 pc fare hike from Jan 1

Ahmedabad, Dec 31 (PTI) The Gujarat State Road Transport Corporation (GSRTC) on Wednesday announced a three per cent increase in bus fares across its services starting from January 1, 2026.

The fare increase has been designed in such a way that regular commuters face minimal burden, officials said.

Passengers travelling up to nine kilometres will see no increase at all, while those travelling between 10 and 60 kilometres will pay an additional one rupee per journey only. Nearly 85 per cent of passengers - around 10 lakh commuters who travel short distances daily - fall into this category.

The corporation also highlighted several initiatives undertaken in recent months. These include the induction of 1,475 new BS-6 buses, including sleeper, luxury, semi-luxury, super deluxe and mini buses - and the inauguration of 13 upgraded bus stations and depots, benefiting nearly one lakh people daily, a release said.

To promote digital payments and reduce dependency on cash, the GSRTC has introduced 3,000 smart electronic ticketing machines in buses across Ahmedabad, Rajkot, Jamnagar and Junagadh divisions, with another 7,500 devices set to be rolled out soon, it said.

Work is also underway to upgrade bus ports across the state, with modern, airport-style facilities already operational in cities such as Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Rajkot, Surat, Bhuj, Mehsana, Palanpur, Bharuch and Amreli, the release added.

Under the 2025-26 budget plan, the state government has proposed to add 2,060 more buses to the fleet. Recruitment is also underway, with 2,320 conductors already appointed with plans to hire 3,084 drivers and 1,658 helpers.

Despite the fare hike, the GSRTC claimed that its fares remain among the lowest compared to several other states.

The GSRTC, which operates more than 8,000 buses daily and transports over 27 lakh passengers across 32 lakh kilometres, said it continues to work towards becoming self-reliant while providing affordable public transport. PTI KVM PD NP