Namma Metro Fare Revised After 'Abnormal Hike' Keeps Commuters Away, New Price Effective From Feb 14
The Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited has revised its fare structure, capping the maximum stage-wise fare hike.
The Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) has announced a revision of its fare structure, limiting the maximum stage-wise fare hike to 70%. This decision, made on February 13, follows Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s directive to roll back what he described as ‘abnormal’ increases, reported The Hindu.
Despite this adjustment, the base fare and the highest ticket price will remain at Rs 10 and Rs 90, respectively. BMRCL Managing Director M Maheshwar Rao confirmed that the revised fare structure will be implemented by February 14. “The maximum increase in metro fares has been capped at 70% after a detailed review of the pricing structure,” he stated.
The increase in fares was implemented on February 9.
CM Siddaramaiah Intervenes Over Fare Hike Concerns
Earlier in the day, CM Siddaramaiah addressed the issue on social media platform X, instructing the Namma Metro administration to reassess and reverse excessive fare hikes. He underscored the need to protect commuter interests amid concerns over steep fare increases.
The way Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) has implemented the Bengaluru Metro fare revision has led to anomalies, with fares more than doubling in certain sections.
— Siddaramaiah (@siddaramaiah) February 13, 2025
I have asked the MD of BMRCL to urgently address these issues and reduce fares where increases are…
The BMRCL earlier said that it had hiked the Bengaluru Metro (Namma Metro) ticket prices by 51.5% on an average (45 to 46 per cent after discount). However, after the implementation of the hike, it was found to be almost 100% or even more on some routes.
Deccan Herald sources in the BMRCL attributed the "abnormal" rise to technical errors. Managing Director of BMRCL M Maheshwar Rao was quoted as saying by The Hindu: "Following public feedback regarding fare hikes of 100% or more, the metro administration deliberated for two days and reevaluated the fare matrix. This reassessment was aimed at reviewing the recommendations of the Fare Fixation Committee (FFC) while adhering to statutory guidelines to address commuter concerns," he explained.
The revised fare structure includes 4,623 different fare combinations, with approximately 459 slabs witnessing hikes of up to 100%. Efforts are underway to rationalise some of these slabs, Rao added, indicating that certain fares could see reductions of up to 15%.
After the fare hike, Namma Metro lost nearly 4% of its passengers within just 72 hours.
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