Sir,

I am a regular user of public transport and frequently travel between Mysuru and Bengaluru. Whenever possible, I also take the BMTC bus in Bengaluru.

As a regular traveller familiar with ticket prices, I usually do not scrutinise the ticket details, as I know the total fare across different bus categories.

However, during my return trip from Bengaluru yesterday evening, I took an EV Power bus to Mysuru. Out of curiosity, I checked my ticket and noticed that, below the GST value of Rs. 17.00, there was an additional charge labelled as a ‘rounded-off amount’ of Rs. 3.

Not being an expert on GST, I was surprised by this, as it seemed unusual for such a significant amount to be rounded off. According to my online research, GST rounding off generally pertains to amounts being rounded to the nearest rupee when there are paise involved. Rounding off a full Rs. 3 seems excessive.

If the KSRTC can issue tickets for Rs. 187 on an Ashwamedha bus without rounding off, it raises the question of why such rounding is deemed necessary for luxury buses.

The potential cumulative extra revenue collected through this practice by KSRTC on a daily basis is concerning. By comparison, in Kerala, the KSRTC issues tickets for their Semi Luxury buses at exact amounts, such as Rs. 228, without rounding off.

To ensure fairness and transparency, it would be beneficial for KSRTC to consider introducing online payment systems or scanners in their buses to charge the exact amount due.

Taxpayers, who are already under significant financial pressure, should not be required to pay extra due to arbitrary rounding practices.

I hope this issue is addressed promptly for the benefit of all passengers and to uphold the integrity of public transportation billing.

— Raghu Srinivasan, Mysuru, 15.11.2024

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