Bengaluru: Karnataka Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy on Saturday ruled out any immediate increase in state bus fares, despite a recent surge in global petroleum prices driven by the ongoing conflict in West Asia.

The minister stated that the state government is committed to shielding commuters from the rising costs of petrol and diesel at this stage. He clarified that the administration has no plans to initiate a fare revision or convene a committee to study such a proposal.

"Just because diesel prices have gone up, we will not increase ticket fares. We do not have the authority to raise fares now. We are not increasing them," Reddy told reporters, adding that the spike is a result of "geopolitical tensions" rather than local policy.

Focus on Global Volatility

Reddy attributed the current financial pressure to the triad of hostilities involving Iran, Israel, and the United States. He expressed optimism that the energy market would stabilise once the military confrontation ceases.

"Prices have gone up due to the war situation (Iran-Israel-US). If the war stops, prices will automatically come down," the minister said. He further emphasised that even if fuel costs continue to climb in the short term, the state-run transport corporations would maintain current ticket pricing.

Critique of Federal Fuel Policy

The Transport Minister utilised the briefing to criticise the central government’s management of fuel pricing over the last decade. He argued that the public has rarely benefited when global crude prices have fallen, alleging that the Union government has retained those gains instead of passing them to consumers.

"We will not do anything on our part. As far as we are concerned, we will not increase fares," Reddy reiterated, while calling on the Centre to refrain from further price hikes that might burden the common man.

The decision comes amid a period of high ridership for the state's transport corporations, following the 15 per cent fare adjustment implemented in early 2025 to address legacy debts and salary requirements.

With inputs from PTI