An outstation fare in South India is built from five things. Any quote that does not let you see all five is a quote you cannot compare with another one.
1. Distance, on the higher of two numbers
The per-kilometre rate is the headline, but it is applied to chargeable distance, not to the distance you travel.
Chargeable distance is the higher of what you actually drive and the minimum:
- One-way drop: a minimum of roughly 130 km in this market.
- Round trip: a minimum of roughly 250 km per day of the trip.
So a 90 km drop is billed at 130 km. A two-day round trip covering 400 km is billed at 500 km. This is not a trick — the car has to get home, and on a short drop that return is most of the work — but it is the single most common source of “why is the bill higher than I calculated”.
It also explains why two drops of different lengths can cost the same.
2. Driver bata
A daily allowance for the driver’s food and rest, charged per day, one per driver. Separate from a night halt, which covers him sleeping away from home. The full explanation is here.
3. Toll and parking, at actuals
These are pass-through. You pay what the road charges, with receipts.
Be suspicious of a round number. An operator who quotes “about ₹800 in tolls” is estimating, and estimates in this direction are rarely generous. Ask for actuals.
4. Interstate permit, where a border is crossed
If your route crosses a state line, a permit applies — Tamil Nadu to Karnataka, Karnataka to Kerala, Tamil Nadu to Andhra Pradesh, and so on. It is charged at actuals.
The thing worth asking: does the operator already hold the permit? If they do, it is a line on your fare. If they do not, it is a delay at a check post.
5. GST
Passenger transport carries GST, and in this market rates are usually quoted before it. A quote that does not say which is a quote you cannot compare with one that does.
Putting it together
A worked example, using our own published rates for a 135 km one-way drop:
- Chargeable distance: 135 km (above the minimum, so actual distance applies)
- Distance cost: 135 × the one-way per-km rate
- Driver bata: one day
- Toll and permit: at actuals, with receipts
- GST: added on the total
Every route page on this site shows exactly that breakdown for that specific journey, with the minimum flagged where it applies, because a fare you can check is a fare you do not have to argue about.
Or skip all of it and ask for one number
Everything above describes an itemised quote, which is how we and most operators price by default. It is usually the cheaper of the two.
But you can also ask for a single all-inclusive figure with toll, parking, permit and tax folded in and agreed before you travel. It normally costs a little more, because someone has to carry the risk that the road comes in above expectation — and it is worth it if the trip is being reimbursed or you would rather not reconcile receipts at the end of a long day.
The one condition: an all-inclusive quote must state its kilometre and hour limits. Without them it is not a package price. The full comparison is here.
How to compare two quotes properly
Ask both operators for the same five lines. If one of them will not itemise, you are not comparing prices — you are comparing one number against another number that contains different things.
The whole reason our rates are published rather than hidden behind a “call for quote” form is that a rate card you can read before phoning is the only way this comparison is possible at all.