The first coach of the second Yellow Line train that arrived at the Hebbagodi depot on Sunday.
| Photo Credit: special arrangement
As the revised fare structure of Namma Metro came into effect on Sunday, many passengers said they were left shocked. Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) on Saturday announced a 50% hike on the maximum price which was ₹60 to ₹90, and stage-wise hikes around 45%. However, many commuters claimed that the effective fare hike was much more than 45%. Some complained that it had increased by 100% between certain stations.
“Even though BMRCL claims that the hike is only 45%, for certain station pairs, it ranges from 70% to 110%. For example, the fare from Whitefield to Singayyanapalya was ₹28.5/- and is now ₹60. The sudden jump of ₹10 in each fare stage is ridiculous. Eg. Whitefield to KR Pura, earlier fare was ₹35 and the new fare is ₹60. Almost 70% hiked. High time BMRCL must Revoke Metro Fare Hike,” said Sreejith S. Pai on X.
“The committee suggested a 45% hike. BMRCL nicely doubled it to 90% by inventing tweaks like fare stage difference being hiked from ₹3 to ₹10 directly,” he further said.
“The ticket cost from Benninganahalli (Tin Factory) to Majestic was ₹30 before and now it is ₹60. If it was a 50% increase, then the fare should have been ₹45. How is it ₹60, is it a 100% raise?” asked a commuter on X.
“BMRCL claims a mere 15% fare hike, yet my wallet insists it’s more like 100%. Guess math works differently in the metro tunnels!” said Abhishek B., another X user who had taken the train from Cubbon Park to Balagangadharanatha Swamiji Station, Hosahalli. He had attached images which showed that while the previous fare for the same distance was ₹20.9 before, now it is ₹40.
While the base fare of metro (0 to 2 km) is ₹10, for the next stage (2 to 4 km), the fare has been hiked from ₹15 to ₹20 and ₹90 for distances beyond 30 km.
When asked about allegations that the fare was almost double, a public relations officer of BMRCL said: “It might look that way between some stations, but our calculations have been done stage and kilometre-wise. From one stage to another there is around 45% to 47% increase in the fare,” the official said.
Tejasvi Surya, MP, claimed that Bengaluru metro fares were the highest in the country. “No other metro charges this high, nothing beyond ₹60 and the hike is extremely steep,” he said.
“While commuters in Delhi pay ₹30 for a 12-km ride, Bengaluru will have to pay ₹60 – double the amount. Bengaluru metro fares should be at par with other metros in the country,” Mr. Surya said.
“Karnataka government, instead of incentivising public transport and discouraging private vehicles, is doing the exact opposite with the Metro Fare Hike. Hike in bus fares coupled with big metro fare hike puts burden on the wallet of people and discourages use of public transport. I request BMRCL to re-look at fare revision, raise the non-fare revenue via ads, and lease spaces for commercial use by studying the best practices across the metros,” he said on X.
However, many have pointed out that the Union government has stakes in BMRCL and that P.C. Mohan, MP, had claimed that the hike was put on hold as the Union government had sought an explanation on February 1, but it had now come into force.
Yellow line coach arrives
The first coach of the second Yellow Line train of the BMRCL arrived at the Hebbagodi depot on Sunday after travelling over 1,900 kilometres from Titagarh to Bengaluru. All six coaches of the train have now reached Bengaluru.
Published – February 09, 2025 09:34 pm IST