Bengaluru: Namma Metro Proposes 40-50% Fare Hike After 8 Years, Final Decision on January 17

Bengaluru (Karnataka): The Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation (BMRC) has put forward a proposal to bump up the ticket price up to 40-50%. The proposal comes after the recent 15% hike in government bus fares. This hike marks the first-ever price bump after eight odd years.

The fare fixation committee, which was constituted under the Metro Rail Act of 2002, has submitted its final report regarding the same. In the report, the committee has recommended hiking the price, looking at the increasing operational costs and inflation. BMRC is set to conduct a meeting on the same on January 17, and the final circular is set to be released soon after.

According to information, the fare fixation committee, chaired by Justice R. Tharani, retired judge of the Madras High Court, 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, has recommended the hike in its final report. This marks the first revision in metro fares in seven and a half years. The current fares range from ₹10 to ₹60, with a 5 per cent discount for travel card users. The last revision, on June 18, 2017, saw fares increase by 10-15 per cent.

According to sources, the hike has been justified in the report citing a 45 percent rise in the consumer price index since 2017 and escalating operational and expansion costs. The Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) board is scheduled to make a final decision on January 17. If approved, the revised fares could be implemented the next day.