The Karnataka State Travel Operators’ Association (KSTOA) has asked the Transport Department to suspend its August 28, 2026 circular requiring the installation of fare meters on all taxi and motor‑cab vehicles until clearer guidelines are issued. The association argues that the directive treats all vehicles the same, despite the wide range of taxi categories that operate under different permits, business models and fare structures.
The circular mandates that every taxi and motor‑cab, including app‑based cabs in Bengaluru, install fare meters in accordance with government‑notified fares. The Transport Department has warned that registration authorities will refuse to renew fitness certificates for vehicles that fail to comply, a move that could effectively shut down road‑tax‑paid vehicles. KSTOA says that without category‑specific rules, the blanket requirement is confusing for operators.
Radhakrishna Holla, president of KSTOA, said the varied categories—street‑hailing cabs, airport and railway‑station taxis, app‑based aggregators, and luxury or corporate vehicles—operate under distinct permits and fare structures. He urged that until separate guidelines are issued, the lack of a meter should not be used to deny fitness inspections or trigger penalties against owners or drivers.
Officials defending the directive cited a rise in complaints that some app‑based aggregators and taxi drivers do not follow the prescribed fare structure. They said that installing meters would standardise fares, address passenger overcharging, and provide a uniform revenue‑sharing mechanism for aggregators. The government‑notified fare structure covers nearly three lakh taxis and cabs in Bengaluru, with minimum fares ranging from ₹1,000 to ₹1,300 for the first four kilometres and per‑kilometre rates between ₹24 and ₹32, depending on vehicle cost. Additional charges include ₹1 per minute for waiting time and a 10% surcharge for trips between midnight and 6 a.m., with aggregators allowed to collect GST, tolls and other authorised fees.
