A fuel pump worker filling petrol at Vijayanagar in Bengaluru. File
| Photo Credit: Sudhakara Jain
Fuel prices in Bengaluru witnessed another increase on Saturday (May 23, 2026), after oil marketing companies raised petrol and diesel prices for the third time in just eight days, adding to concerns over rising inflation and mounting pressure on the general public and transport sector.
Prices across all fuel variants were increased by an average of 90 paise per litre. With the latest revision, petrol in Bengaluru is now priced at ₹108.09 per litre, up from ₹107.14 on Friday (May 22, 2026). Diesel prices too rose sharply to ₹95.99 per litre from ₹95.04 per litre.
This is the third fuel price hike in May. Oil companies had earlier revised prices upward by around ₹3 per litre on May 15, followed by another increase of around 90 paise per litre on May 19. The cumulative hike over the past few days has left commuters, transport operators and businesses worried about the impact on daily expenses and operational costs.
Industry stakeholders said the latest increase is expected to have a cascading effect on sectors dependent on transportation and logistics, including hotels, retail and essential commodities.
Travel operators expressed concern over the repeated hikes. K. Radhakrishna Holla, President of the Karnataka State Travel Owners’ Association, said that the rapid increase in fuel prices within a short period had pushed the transport sector to the brink. “The rapid hike in fuel prices in just ten days has pushed the state’s transport sector to the brink of collapse. This isn’t just an operational crisis for taxi, tourist, and contract car operators who are facing crippling overheads; it is a direct blow to the common man,” he said.
Mr. Holla warned that the fuel price rise would create a domino effect across the economy by increasing logistics expenses and inflating the cost of essential commodities such as milk, vegetables and groceries.
Calling for immediate intervention, he urged the government to reduce fuel taxes and provide structural relief measures for the transport sector. “We urgently demand that the government step in to reduce fuel taxes immediately and provide structural relief to the transport sector to ensure fuel price stability. If we want a stronger, sustainable transport future, the government must act now to support operators, promote alternative fuels and EV adoption, and strengthen our public transport system before the damage becomes irreversible,” he added.
Ride-hailing cab drivers in Bengaluru also said the repeated hikes were severely affecting their earnings. “This is the third time we are paying more at the pump this week, but our ride-hailing rates haven’t changed at all. Out of every thousand rupees I earn today, nearly six hundred go straight into the fuel tank. After the aggregator takes their commission, I am left with almost nothing to take home to my family,” said Praveen K., a ride-hailing cab driver from Laggere.
“If prices keep climbing like this, driving a cab in Bengaluru will no longer be sustainable for people like me,” he added.
Consumers also expressed concern over the impact on household budgets. Anjali Rao, a software quality analyst from Whitefield, said that the fuel price hikes were already affecting grocery expenses. “Every time petrol goes up, my weekly grocery bill jumps the very next day because transport costs for vegetables and milk shoot up. Inflation is hitting us from every single direction, but our salaries are exactly where they were last year,” she said.
“We are genuinely at a point where we have to cut down on basic household essentials just to balance the monthly budget,” she added.
Published – May 23, 2026 12:25 pm IST
