BENGALURU: Amid continuing public criticism over the previous steep fare hike, the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) on Thursday announced an Annual Automatic Fare Revision of up to 5%, to be implemented from February 9.
Defending the decision, BMRCL said the revision is in line with the recommendations of the First Fare Fixation Committee (FFC) constituted under the Metro Railways (Operation & Maintenance) Act, 2002, and is binding on the corporation.
As per BMRCL, the FFC had noted that a revision after a long gap of 7.5 years, along with the rationalisation of fare zones from 29 to 10, resulted in an average fare increase of 51.55%. To avoid such infrequent but steep hikes in the future, the committee recommended a transparent annual fare revision linked to operation and maintenance (O&M) costs, capped at 5% per annum or the actual cost increase, whichever is lower.
Accordingly, BMRCL said the annual revision will come into effect one year after the implementation of the FFC-recommended fares on February 9, 2025. The marginal increase ranges from a minimum of Rs 1 to a maximum of Rs 5 across the 10 fare zones on the entire 96.10-km Metro network.
Based on audited financial data, BMRCL said O&M costs rose by 10.20% in 2024–25 compared to the previous year, but the fare increase has been restricted to 5% as per the FFC stipulation. Under the revised structure, the minimum fare will increase from Rs 10 to Rs 11, while the maximum fare for journeys beyond 30 km will rise from Rs 90 to Rs 95.
BMRCL clarified that all existing commuter-friendly discounts will continue, including 5% off during peak hours, 10% during non-peak hours, and 10% discounts on Sundays and three national holidays.The annual revision will also apply to tourist cards and group tickets.
Commuters fume over fresh fare hike
Following the latest announcement regarding fare hike, Metro commuters expressed anger and frustration, saying the repeated hikes are making daily travel increasingly unaffordable while service improvements lag behind.
“Only fare hikes seem to happen on time. Project completion never meets deadlines, and passengers are made to pay for cost escalations,” said Hemalatha M, a regular commuter. “By the time the remaining lines and the full metro network are completed, many of us may no longer be able to afford travelling by Metro if the same continues,” she added.
Another commuter, Rama Murali, said the impact of the earlier hike was yet to ease. “I am still adjusting to the earlier jump from Rs 60 to Rs 90. An additional Rs 5 may look small, but it pinches the pocket. Fares keep going up, but services do not improve,” he said. Pointing to worsening congestion, he added that peak-hour travel had become “beyond bearable,” with overcrowded coaches. “The only advantage the Metro still offers is that it helps beat road traffic,” he noted.
Echoing similar concerns, Selvakumar K, a daily Metro user, said repeated fare hikes risk portraying the Metro as a premium service. “Metro travel is being made to look like a luxury, but it is not. It is a daily necessity for the working class ranging from IT employees to daily wage workers,” he said.