Students using BMTC buses on NICE Road must pay toll fee, says corporation
The Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation has clarified that students must pay toll fees if they choose to travel on NICE Road buses. The corporation maintains that free travel is only guaranteed on routes where no alternative, non-toll roads exist.
Why it matters
This policy decision impacts student accessibility to education and highlights the financial complexities of public transport on private toll infrastructure.
Students travelling on the Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) buses via NICE Road will have to pay the applicable toll user fee if they opt for the toll road despite alternative routes being available, the transport corporation clarified on Friday, responding to reports on toll charges levied on student pass holders.
In a press release, the BMTC said the user fee is collected only to recover the toll charges it pays for operating buses on NICE Road. The corporation said the amount is not an additional component of the regular passenger fare but is linked specifically to the use of the toll road.
The BMTC said that students are provided free bus passes under the government's student pass scheme and are allowed one or two route changes, wherever necessary, if there is no direct bus service between their residence and educational institution.
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