Mysore/Mysuru, July 10 -- Facing public backlash over overcharging despite printed fares, KSRTC has officially withdrawn its round off fare policy for certain premium bus services.

The round off system, introduced in 2016, permitted conductors on select services - such as Rajahamsa, Volvo and Sleeper Buses - to round ticket fares to the nearest multiple of five. For instance, a ticket costing Rs. 36 could be rounded up to Rs. 40, and a fare of Rs. 41 to Rs. 45. The adjustment, necessitated by difficulties in tendering exact change, was always reflected on the printed ticket.

However, with the widespread deployment of advanced Point-of-Sale (POS) and Intelligent Ticketing Machines (ITMs) that support digital UPI transactions, KSRTC has a...