Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has introduced a new fare category for Super Premium Fully Sleeper A.C. Coach buses, fixing the maximum fare at Rs 3.50 per kilometre per passenger (berth) for stage carriage buses operating within the state.

The new bus fare has been notified by the Commerce and Transport Department under the provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, through a notification partially modifying the existing bus fare framework. The revised rate will come into force from the date of its publication in the Odisha Gazette.

According to the notification, the fare has been determined based on the recommendations of the Technical Committee constituted by the State Transport Authority (STA). The government clarified that the new fare applies exclusively to fully sleeper air-conditioned coaches and does not cover town buses operating within municipal limits.

Existing bus fares in Odisha remain unchanged

The government has also made it clear that fares for all existing bus categories, including Ordinary, Express, Deluxe, Deluxe A.C. and Super Premium buses, will remain unchanged. The existing fare for Super Premium buses will continue to apply to super premium seater, semi-sleeper and similar coaches that are not fully sleeper AC buses.

The notification states that Rs 3.50 per kilometre is the maximum permissible fare, and no bus operator will be allowed to charge passengers beyond the notified rate. The State Transport Authority (STA) and Regional Transport Authorities (RTAs) have been directed to ensure proper permit endorsements, fare display inside buses, ticketing compliance and strict enforcement of the new fare structure.

The government further said that all existing passenger welfare provisions notified earlier—including minimum fare, concessions for eligible passengers, free luggage limits, additional luggage charges, fare rounding norms and mandatory display of fare details inside buses—will also apply to the new category.

Officials added that the fare may be revised in the future after the government examines the forthcoming report of the Technical Committee on the overall bus fare revision for 2026 or under any subsequent fare revision mechanism.

Earlier, on June 2, 2026, the State Transport Authority had revised fares across existing bus categories following an increase in diesel prices. Under the revised structure, ordinary bus fares were increased from 90 paise to 92 paise per kilometre, express buses from 94 paise to 96 paise, deluxe buses from Rs 1.31 to Rs 1.35, AC deluxe buses from Rs 1.59 to Rs 1.63, and super premium buses from Rs 2.47 to Rs 2.53 per kilometre. The newly notified fare creates a separate category for fully sleeper premium AC coaches operating in Odisha.