The Namma Metro (train) fare hike in Bengaluru has led to widespread outrage among the daily commuters, who have slammed the BMRCL for the “steep hike” of 50 per cent, while the services remained “inadequate”.
The BMRCL announced a 50 per cent fare hike (effective from February 9), where the maximum fare increased from Rs 60 to Rs 90 and the minimum remained at Rs 10 (for the first two km).
The Bengaluru’s metro system – the second-largest metro system in India after the Delhi metro – has seen a substantial growth in both passengers and coverage, with highest daily ridership of 9.2 lakh recorded in last December on the 76-km-stretch with 68 stations. However, a common grouse has been overcrowding of coaches and poor frequency of trains. The daily income has crossed Rs 2 crore, too. But the corporation has to bear the operational cost, fuel and salaries, besides repaying debt.
The fare hike is based on the recommendations of the Fare Fixation Committee, which submitted its report on December 16, 2024. The three-member committee, led by Justice R. Tharani, a retired judge of the Madras High Court, Satyendra Pal Singh, Additional Secretary at the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, and E.V. Ramana Reddy, the former Additional Chief Secretary of Karnataka, studied metro systems in India and other global cities before proposing a revision of tariff to balance the affordability and the financial sustainability.
Following the revision, the BMRCL has introduced separate tariffs for peak and non-peak hours. Off-peak hours are from 8am to 12pm, 4pm to 9pm, and after 9pm on weekdays. On Sundays and national holidays, smart card users will get a 10 per cent discount throughout the day.
The metro fare was last hiked in 2017 and the current hike is hoped to provide for expansion (route extension and increasing the number of coaches) and upkeep of the metro rail. The commuters are complaining about the poor frequency of the trains, poor crowd management during the peak hours and most importantly the unhygienic and poor state of the toilets at the stations. The metro trains have immensely helped decongest traffic in the city but the lack of adequate and affordable parking in all the stations and the poor feeder bus services for the last mile connectivity is a deterrent.
Union Minister and JD(S) leader H.D. Kumaraswamy slammed the Congress government for the hike. “On one hand, the Congress government promises guarantee schemes to fool the people, and on the other, they impose heavy price hikes to loot them. This government has systematically increased stamp duty, guidance value, liquor prices, bus fares, and now metro fares. The recent 40-50 per cent hike in Bengaluru Metro ticket prices is nothing short of a shocker for the common man,” he said.
Deputy CM and Bengaluru Development Minister D.K. Shivakumar said, “The state government has no role in Namma Metro fare hike. It was decided by a central committee headed by a judge and the report was submitted to the BMRCL, which will implement it.”