Bengaluru Commuters Can Breathe Easy As Namma Metro Fare Hike Plan Put On Hold, Says BJP MP
Bengaluru Metro fare hike of 45% has been halted by the Modi government, pending a comprehensive report from BMRCL.
The BMRCL’s proposed 45% metro fare hike, set for a February 1 rollout, has been put on hold, BJP MP P Chikkamuni Mohan. He said that the Modi government has asked the Namma Metro, also known as Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL), to submit a comprehensive report before making any decision.
"[This is] A big win for the people of Bengaluru — ensuring transparency, accountability, and fair metro pricing," he said in an X post. The initial plan of the Namma Metro was to roll out the fare hike on February 1.
BMRCL’s proposed 45% metro fare hike, set for Feb 1, has been put on hold. The Modi government has directed BMRCL to submit a comprehensive report before making any decision. A big win for the people of Bengaluru—ensuring transparency, accountability, and fair metro pricing. pic.twitter.com/5LBJT70mX2
— P C Mohan (@PCMohanMP) January 29, 2025
The Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) had earlier approved a 40-45% hike in fares. A formal announcement detailing the revised fares was expected soon, which could have put additional financial strain on daily commuters.
The plan was to increase the fare mainly on long-distance trains on the Namma Metro network. Currently, Bengaluru metro fares range from Rs 10 to Rs 60, but with the proposed hike, the highest fare could have risen to Rs 85.
At present, BMRCL generates approximately Rs 2 crore in daily revenue from metro operations. The fare revision plan was proposed with a target of increasing the daily earnings by around Rs 80 lakh, depending on the footfall.
The fare hike proposal was submitted by the Fare Fixation Committee, which was chaired by retired Madras High Court judge Justice R Tharani. The committee included Satyendra Pal Singh, Additional Secretary at the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, and E V Ramana Reddy, former Additional Chief Secretary of Karnataka.
After conducting an extensive study of metro fare models both within India and abroad, the committee presented its findings to the state government. The last metro fare revision took place in June 2017.
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