The MD said that there are 4,623 fare combinations in the Bengaluru Metro and the fare for commute between some stations has been increased up to 100 percent or more from the existing fares. The decision comes after protests by commuters compelled government to intervene.
Published Feb 13, 2025 | 4:39 PM ⚊ Updated Feb 13, 2025 | 4:39 PM
BMRCL officials speaking to the media.
Synopsis: Bengaluru Metro MD said that the recent fare hike would be reduced by up to 30 percent. The MD addressed a press conference after Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said he had asked the former to reduce the fares.
Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) Managing Director (MD) Maheshwar Rao said on Thursday, 13 February, that the company was looking into the recent hike in the fares and would ensure that the increased price would be reduced by up to 30 percent.
Rao addressed a press conference after Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said he had asked the former to reduce the fares.
In a post on X, the chief minister said the increase was abnormal.
“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. I have asked the MD of BMRCL to urgently address these issues and reduce fares where increases are abnormal. Commuters’ interests must be safeguarded,” Siddaramaiah said.
Earlier, Siddaramaiah asserted that his government has no direct control over Bengaluru Metro fares.
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.
I have asked the MD of BMRCL to urgently address these issues and reduce fares where increases are…
— Siddaramaiah (@siddaramaiah) February 13, 2025
Meanwhile, the MD said that the daily ridership of the Bengaluru Metro has witnessed a drop of 8-10 percent since the implementation of the hiked prices.
The MD said that there are 4,623 fare combinations in the Bengaluru Metro and the fare for commute between some stations has been increased up to 100 percent or more from the existing fares.
He added that such increases would be corrected after analysing all possible ride combinations.
“There has been a lot of feedback from the people. The board held meetings yesterday (Wednesday) and this morning with government representatives and discussed what the Fair Fixation Committee (FFC) could do. Based on the discussion the board decided to make some corrections in the prices which were hiked abnormally in some fare points,” he said.
“About 35-40 percent of passengers have complained that the hike has been abnormal. We will rectify that and hopefully, it will provide relief for the passengers. We are looking to make up to a 30 percent reduction to the fare that was implemented after the revision,” he added.
The MD added that the decision to hike the fares was made by the FFC, comprising members from the board of the Metro, and the state and Union governments.
Rao also mentioned that the Bengaluru Metro was facing some financial and legal constraints and was in a loss-making position even though there were allocations from the government. He added that the fare hike would help the BMRCL operations to an extent.
He added that the revisions will be implemented soon.
Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar said the state government has conveyed its opinion to BMRCL that metro fares should be reduced, but the final decision rests with the central committee.
Speaking to the media at Vidhana Soudha on Thursday, Shivakumar responded to questions regarding BMRCL’s move to reduce metro ticket fares.
“We have no direct involvement in this matter. This issue does not come under the state government’s jurisdiction, which is why a central committee has been formed. The chief minister has expressed his opinion on reducing metro fares after hearing public requests. The final decision will be taken in a way that considers both public interest and the metro’s financial stability. A separate central committee, led by a judge, has been constituted for fare determination. We will communicate our opinion to this committee, but the final decision lies with them,” he stated.
“I had a discussion this morning with the managing director and officials of the metro. Both the chief minister and I have suggested that the fare should be reviewed. However, metro fare revision is not in our hands. The secretaries of the central government oversee the metro. The committee responsible for determining metro fares will analyse the pros and cons before making a decision. We have instructed officials to present a proposal before the committee, reevaluating the pricing criteria and recalculating the fares to consider a possible reduction,” he added.
Siddaramaiah had earlier clarified that since the BMRCL is an autonomous body, established in equal partnership between the Karnataka state government and the Union government, and that it had written to the Centre for fare increases.
The BJP led protests against the fare increases on 10 February, with demonstrations at key metro stations. Siddaramaiah accused the BJP of misleading the public by falsely implying that the fare revisions were a direct responsibility of the state government.
While the fare hike has sparked public outrage, the government has defended the decision, citing financial sustainability and metro expansion needs.
Commuters, especially daily wage workers and office-goers have expressed concerns over rising travel costs, with many calling for alternative relief measures, such as increased discounts for regular passengers.
(Edited by Muhammed Fazil with inputs from Nolan Pinto.)
