Those who have pets know that traveling with their furry friends can be troublesome, especially when it involves taking public transport. Keeping pets cooped up in a cage isn’t an ideal situation, especially when traveling long distances.
But for those in Karnataka, there’s some good news. The Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation has made allowances for your traveling pet companion. And KSRTC sources confirmed to TNM that it would be applicable from February 1.
Did you know you that you could take your pet along with you on the bus, for a cost no more than an adult’s ticket?
KSRTC just reiterated the same in the circular after receiving complaints that passengers were being refused when they asked if they could carry their pets on board.
Headquartered in Bengaluru, KSRTC’s 8,000 buses are mandated to allow pets on board.
Fare
You can view the fare you would have to pay for your pet on the KSRTC website under the ‘Luggage Rates’ section, as pets are also classified as ‘luggage’ by KSRTC.
For a dog, you will have to pay the fare equivalent to that of an adult passenger’s ticket.
For smaller animals, such as a rabbit, puppy, bird in a cage, cat or monkey, the fares applicable would be equivalent to the price of a child’s ticket.
Under no circumstances however, can pets be treated as part of free allowance.
Free allowance is the permissible weight of luggage a passenger can carry without having to pay extra.
This limit is 30kg per adult and 15kg for a child.
Precaution
While you can travel with your pet in a KSRTC bus, ensuring that the animal behaves well is your responsibility.
It is the owner’s responsibility to ensure that their dog(s) are leashed at all times and to handle the pet for the journey.
Owners must also make sure that the pet is not causing harm to the bus crew or fellow passengers or their luggage.
While this applies for interstate KSRTC buses as well, bear in mind that this may not apply to BMTC or other local transport not affiliated to KSRTC.