BMTC Bus Pass Guide: Types, Prices & How to Get One (2026)
A BMTC bus pass turns a stack of paper tickets into one fixed monthly cost, and for anyone riding twice a day across Bengaluru it usually pays for itself well before month end. The cheapest version, the ordinary monthly pass, costs ₹1,200 in 2026 and covers unlimited rides on every non-AC route in the city.
Key takeaways
- Ordinary monthly pass: ₹1,200. AC Vajra monthly: ₹2,000. Airport Vayu Vajra monthly: ₹4,000.
- Day pass starts at ₹80 (non-AC); the AC Vajra Gold day pass is about ₹120.
- Women and transgender residents of Karnataka ride free on non-AC buses by showing Aadhaar.
- A daily commuter breaks even on the ordinary monthly pass at roughly 24 round trips a month.
- Buy on the Namma BMTC app or Tummoc, at a depot or TTMC counter, or from the conductor for day passes.
What types of BMTC bus passes are there?
BMTC runs eight common pass options, split by how long they last and whether they cover air-conditioned buses.
| Pass | Validity | Covers | Indicative price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ordinary day pass | 1 calendar day | All non-AC city and suburban | ₹80 |
| Vajra Gold day pass | 1 calendar day | AC + non-AC (not Vayu Vajra) | ₹120 |
| Ordinary weekly pass | 7 days | All non-AC services | ₹300 |
| Ordinary monthly pass | 1 month | All non-AC services | ₹1,200 |
| Vajra (Gold) monthly | 1 month | AC + non-AC (not airport) | ₹2,000 |
| Vayu Vajra monthly | 1 month | All services incl. airport | ₹4,000 |
| Student pass | Term / year | By category | Free to ₹1,400/mo |
| Shakti (women) | Ongoing | Non-AC ordinary and express | Free |
The split that matters most is AC versus non-AC. An ordinary pass works on every standard city bus but not on Vajra (Volvo AC) or Vayu Vajra (airport) services. If your route runs on AC buses, you need the matching Vajra or Vayu Vajra pass.
How much does a BMTC bus pass cost in 2026?
Monthly passes run from ₹1,200 for ordinary buses to ₹4,000 for the airport Vayu Vajra service, following the revision effective January 2026.
| Service | What it covers | Monthly price |
|---|---|---|
| Ordinary | All non-AC city and suburban routes | ₹1,200 |
| Express (Vegadoota) | Unlimited rides incl. NICE Road, via Tummoc | ₹1,500 |
| Vajra (AC Gold) | AC + non-AC, excludes airport | ₹2,000 |
| NICE Road AC | AC service on the NICE corridor | ₹2,350 |
| Vayu Vajra | Everything, including airport shuttles | ₹4,000 |
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How much does a monthly pass actually save you?
For a commuter making one round trip on working days, the ordinary monthly pass breaks even at about 24 round trips and saves money beyond that.
| Travel pattern | Round trips / month | Pay per ticket | With pass | You save |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Occasional | 12 | ₹600 | ₹1,200 | Pass not worth it |
| Regular | 22 | ₹1,100 | ₹1,200 | About even |
| Daily commuter | 26 | ₹1,300 | ₹1,200 | ₹100 |
| Heavy (2 trips/day) | 52 | ₹2,600 | ₹1,200 | ₹1,400 |
The hidden value sits in the last row. Once you add school runs, market trips and weekend travel on top of the daily commute, the pass stops being about breaking even and starts removing the per-ride decision entirely.
Where and how do you get a BMTC bus pass?
You can buy most passes on your phone through the Namma BMTC or Tummoc app, or in person at a depot, TTMC or bus station counter.
| Channel | What you can get | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Namma BMTC app | Day and monthly passes, digital pass | Official, fully on phone |
| Tummoc app | Day/monthly incl. ₹1,500 express pass | Quick mobile booking |
| Depot / TTMC counter | All passes, student passes | In-person, students |
| Bangalore One / Seva Sindhu | Student and concessional passes | Students, smart cards |
| Duty conductor on bus | Day and weekly passes | Buying mid-journey |
Getting a monthly or student pass, step by step:
- Pick the pass that matches your routes: ordinary for non-AC, Vajra or Vayu Vajra for AC.
- Keep a photo and ID ready. Students also need an institution-attested form and fee receipt.
- Buy in the Namma BMTC or Tummoc app, or at a depot, TTMC or bus station counter.
- For a day or weekly pass, simply ask the conductor on board.
- Show the digital pass or card to the conductor each time you board.
Who can travel free? The Shakti scheme
Under the Karnataka Shakti scheme, all women and transgender residents of the state travel free on non-AC BMTC buses, no pass purchase required.
Launched in June 2023, the scheme covers ordinary, city and express (non-AC) services. There is no income limit and no age limit. AC services such as Vajra and Vayu Vajra are not covered, so a regular ticket or AC pass still applies there.
To use it today, show your Aadhaar or another government photo ID to the conductor and collect a zero-value ticket. A dedicated Shakti Smart Card was approved in February 2026 and is expected to roll out around mid-2026; until then, the ID method continues to work.
Who should get a BMTC bus pass?
A pass pays off fastest for anyone with a fixed daily route, plus students and airport-area workers who travel the same corridor every day.
| Rider | Why a pass helps |
|---|---|
| Office commuters | One fixed cost, no ticket or change hassle, weekend trips included |
| Students | Concessional rates, with several categories travelling free |
| Women | Free non-AC travel under Shakti, no purchase needed |
| Intra-city regulars | Break even quickly, then unlimited hops across the city |
| Airport-area workers | Vayu Vajra monthly caps an otherwise costly airport commute |
The common thread is repetition. A pass rewards people who ride the same routes again and again, which is also what makes those riders such a consistent on-road audience.
The people who renew a monthly pass are the same faces on the same corridor twice a day. That repetition is exactly what makes a wrapped bus stick in memory.
Pass holders see the same buses every single day
Monthly pass holders are Bengaluru's most repeat-exposed road audience. They wait at the same stops, ride the same corridors and pass the same fleet on a loop, five or six days a week. A branded bus on those routes reaches the same commuters dozens of times a month, which is the kind of frequency hoardings rarely match.
See how we plan routes for reach in our guide to bus branding in Bengaluru, or compare formats and corridors in bus advertising rates.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is a BMTC monthly bus pass in 2026?+
The ordinary (non-AC) monthly pass is ₹1,200. The AC Vajra Gold monthly pass is ₹2,000, and the airport Vayu Vajra monthly pass is ₹4,000, following the revision effective January 2026.
Is BMTC bus travel free for women?+
Yes. All women and transgender residents of Karnataka travel free on non-AC BMTC buses under the Shakti scheme by showing Aadhaar or another government photo ID. AC buses such as Vajra are not covered.
How do I buy a BMTC bus pass online?+
Use the official Namma BMTC app or the Tummoc app. Both let you buy and renew day and monthly passes and store a digital pass you show to the conductor.
Is there a daily BMTC pass?+
Yes. The ordinary day pass is about ₹80 for unlimited non-AC rides in a calendar day, and the Vajra Gold day pass is roughly ₹120 for AC plus non-AC travel. Conductors issue day passes on board.
Do students get a discounted pass?+
Yes. BMTC issues concessional student passes, and several categories such as SC/ST professional, technical and medical students travel free apart from a processing fee. Apply at a depot or through Bangalore One with an institution-attested form.
Does the ordinary monthly pass work on AC Vajra buses?+
No. The ordinary pass covers only non-AC services. For AC buses you need a Vajra (₹2,000) or Vayu Vajra (₹4,000) monthly pass.
Bus Branding Glossary
- Full bus branding (wrap)
- A full vehicle wrap covering both sides and the rear of the bus, the highest-impact, most visible format.
- Bus back / rear branding
- Advertising on the rear panel of the bus, in the line of sight of traffic queued behind it at signals and junctions.
- Side panel branding
- Branding on one or both side panels of the bus body, facing pedestrians and parallel traffic along the route.
- Vajra / AC service
- BMTC's premium air-conditioned (Volvo / Vayu Vajra) services, carrying a higher-income commuter set on IT and airport corridors.
- TTMC
- Traffic and Transit Management Centre, a large BMTC bus terminal where many routes start, terminate and interchange.
- Depot
- The BMTC facility where buses are parked, serviced and from which many local routes originate.
- Dwell time
- How long a bus stays in view of a stationary crowd, at a stop, signal or in slow traffic, which lengthens brand exposure.
- Corridor
- A main arterial road (e.g. the Outer Ring Road or Hosur Road) that a bus route runs along, defining who sees the branding.
How to run a BMTC bus branding campaign
Five simple steps from enquiry to a live, tracked campaign on Bengaluru's buses.
- 1
Pick your area & audience
Tell us the Bengaluru area or corridor you want to reach and who you're targeting, IT professionals, shoppers, students or residents.
- 2
Choose a format
Select a format, full bus wrap, rear panel, side panel or premium AC/Vajra service, based on your budget and the impact you want.
- 3
Select routes & bus count
We map the high-frequency routes and stops that cover your audience and recommend how many buses to brand.
- 4
Approve the creative
Share your artwork (or we help design it). We prepare it to BMTC specifications and get the approvals.
- 5
Go live & get proof
We print, wrap and deploy the buses, then share proof of display so you can see your brand on the road.
Bus Branding Formats
Choose how your brand rides, pick the format that fits your goal and budget.
Bus Branding Across Bengaluru
We run BMTC bus branding in every major Bengaluru neighbourhood. Explore more areas:
Outdoor & Transit Advertising Specialists
We plan, design and run BMTC bus branding campaigns across every major Bengaluru corridor, matching brands to the routes, formats and audiences that deliver the most visibility.
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Brand Awareness vs Response Campaigns on Buses
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Geo-Targeting With Bus Routes: Advertising Where Your Customers Are
A bus route is a geo-targeting tool you can drive. How to map your customers to the routes they use, think in catchments instead of points, and stack corridors to cover a neighbourhood or a whole city.
Setting Campaign Objectives Before You Advertise
Why setting one clear objective before you advertise decides everything: awareness vs consideration vs response, how each maps to a different message, format and KPI, and how to write a SMART objective.