Bhogapuram airport commute: ₹300 by RTC e-bus, ₹800 to ₹1,500 by cab from Visakhapatnam

Published 30 July 2026 · local

A seat on the electric bus to Visakhapatnam’s new airport at Bhogapuram is expected to cost around ₹300. The same journey by cab is likely

A seat on the electric bus to Visakhapatnam’s new airport at Bhogapuram is expected to cost around ₹300. The same journey by cab is likely to cost between ₹700 and ₹1,500. The fare structure is taking shape ahead of the inauguration of the Alluri Sitarama Raju International Airport at Bhogapuram, on Saturday (August 1, 2026). Commercial flight operations are scheduled to begin on August 17. The pricing largely reflects the distance involved. The airport is located off Highway-16, near the Vizianagaram district border, around 43 to 50 km from the Visakhapatnam city. When The Hindu drove from its office in Seethammadhara to the new airport site recently, the journey took about 75 minutes. From CMR Central in Gajuwaka, the distance is 60.4 km, making it a longer trip when compared to the other big cities airports serving Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Navi Mumbai, which sit far outside. From Anandapuram, it is 23 km and about half an hour’s journey. Sources in the corporation said: “The Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) expects to price its airport electric buses fare at about ₹300 from the core city (Visakhapatnam) and about ₹100 from the Madhurawada belt, 34 km away.” The fare card is yet to be approved and is expected before commercial operations begin, they added.

In the first phase, the corporation will run 20 electric buses, with 10 e-buses on each of the two routes. The first route will run from Gajuwaka through NAD Junction, Gurudwara, Maddilapalem, Madhurawada and Anandapuram to the airport. The travel time is about one hour and 45 minutes, about 12 minutes longer than a cab journey. The second route runs from Gajuwaka through Scindia, Visakhapatnam Railway Station, the VMRDA Park on Beach Road, IT Hills in Madhurawada, Marikavalasa and Anandapuram. The journey is expected to take about two hours. Officials said services would be stepped up and routes added, depending on demand, after the airport opens. The cab market At about 4.30 p.m. on Thursday (July 30, 2026), when The Hindu checked app-based rides—Ola, Uber and Rapido— the fares quoted from ₹1,000 to ₹1,100 from the city’s arterial roads, ₹700 to ₹900 from Madhurawada, and up to ₹1,500 from Gajuwaka, depending on traffic, demand and the operator. The cheapest ride checked was ₹700 from the Madhurawada belt; and the highest was ₹1,440 from CMR Central. No app-based fare is fixed.

According to the aggregator rate guides rush-hours lift fares 1.4 to 1.6 times, while rain and weekends can push prices to nearly twice the normal fare. During festival periods, fares can peak up to as much as three times. The quoted fares are indicative and can vary by around ₹400 give or take. For now, Bhogapuram airport does not levy any airport toll or pickup fee on cab rides. A look at the expected e-bus fares and real-time cab quotes collected from across Visakhapatnam Pickup point Distance (km) Cab drive time App-cab fare (₹) APSRTC e-bus (proposed) Jagadamba Junction 47.1 1 hr 21 min 890–1,125 about ₹300 Lansum Towers, Seethammadhara 43.2 1 hr 9 min 870–1,103 about ₹300 Dwaraka Bus Complex 44.8 1 hr 12 min 860–1,096 about ₹300 Akkayyapalem 45.1 1 hr 14 min 880–1,113 about ₹300 Visakhapatnam Railway Station 46.4 1 hr 17 min 890–1,120* about ₹300 VMRDA Park, Beach Road 45.7 1 hr 11 min 880–1,115* about ₹300 Maddilapalem 42.5 1 hr 5 min 860–1,085* about ₹300 Gurudwara 44.4 1 hr 12 min 860–1,090* about ₹300 NAD Junction 50.6 1 hr 16 min 1,000–1,260 about ₹300 Scindia 55.8 1 hr 36 min 1,070–1,355* about ₹300 CMR Central, Gajuwaka 60.4 1 hr 33 min 1,130–1,440 not stated GITAM Deemed to be University 38.6 55 min 800–990 no stop yet IT Hills, Madhurawada 35.3 49 min 730–915* about ₹100 Mithilapuri VUDA Colony, Madhurawada 33.8 49 min 700–880 about ₹100 Car Shed Junction, Madhurawada 33.6 48 min 700–890 about ₹100 Marikavalasa 31.8 42 min 670–850* about ₹100 Anandapuram 23.2 32 min 520–660* about ₹100 Fares checked at about 4.30 p.m. on Thursday (July 30, 2026).