Bengaluru Metro fare hike: Pressure mounts on BMRCL to reduce charges, Students' Union demands 50% discount

BJP workers also staged protests at major Metro stations, including Jayanagar, Vijayanagar, Dasarahalli, Madavara, Halasuru, and Kengeri Bus Terminal

Bengaluru Metro, which became the most expensive public transit system in the country following a steep fare hike on February 9, is facing criticism over its unscientific revision of charges.

A delegation of BJP leaders, led by Basavanagudi MLA LA Ravi Subramanya, Jayanagar MLA CK Ramamurthy, and Dasarahalli MLA S Muniraju, met with BMRCL Managing Director M Maheshwar Rao on February 10 and submitted a memorandum opposing the hike.

BJP workers also staged protests at major Metro stations, including Jayanagar, Vijayanagar, Dasarahalli, Madavara, Halasuru, and Kengeri Bus Terminal.

Also, read: Travellin' Blues: Congested Bengaluru now has the costliest Metro fare in India

BJP criticised the fare hike, calling it the highest in the country and urging the corporation to encourage mass transport instead of burdening commuters. The party pointed out that fares have nearly doubled. Compared to Metro systems in cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Chennai, and Kolkata, Bengaluru commuters now pay 60 percent more.

The party condemned the increase as ‘unscientific’ arguing that inefficiencies and revenue leakages should be addressed instead of shifting the financial burden onto passengers. It warned of continued protests if the fare hike is not rolled back and accused the Congress-led government of anti-people policies and financial mismanagement.

BJP also highlighted delays in metro projects, specifically citing the 18-km Yellow Line, which remains non-operational due to a lack of train coaches, leading to financial losses. It urged the government to complete pending projects on time and ensure efficient service.

Also, read: Metro fare hike: Bengaluru MPs, netizens call it unfair, demand rollback

50% discount for students: AIDSO demands concession

Meanwhile, All India Democratic Students' Organisation (AIDSO) has demanded that BMRCL provide a 50 percent concession on Metro fares for students. "Every day, over 7 lakh passengers use the Metro, with nearly 30 percent of them being students. This fare hike has severely impacted students' ability to afford their daily commute," AIDSO stated.

The organisation criticised the 45 percent fare increase, effective from February 9, 2025, stating that the Metro Rail project, originally intended to promote public transport and ease traffic congestion, has now become a financial burden on the common people and students due to the sudden price hike.

BMRCL reviewing fare anomalies

While BMRCL has yet to release February 10 ridership figures, many passengers reported lower-than-usual crowds at Metro stations and inside trains, especially compared to a typical Monday. Several commuters also took to social media, stating they had switched to private vehicles due to the increased fares.

As a mode of protest, I took my car out today. We will fight till BMRCL corrects the stage wise fares to actual distance based logical fares.#RevokeMetroFareHike https://t.co/TYywO9ClT2 pic.twitter.com/GZvM3BkypN
Sreejith S Pai (@jith746) February 10, 2025

BMRCL officials told Moneycontrol that they are now reviewing anomalies in the fare structure after multiple complaints from passengers about disproportionate fare hikes on certain routes.

A senior BMRCL official said: "We have received feedback about anomalies in the revised fares, and we are looking into them. We are also analysing ridership data, as some passengers reported that certain stage fare increases are abnormally high. A decision will be taken in the coming days."

Congress, on the other hand, blamed the Union government for the fare hike. Karnataka IT Minister Priyank Kharge wrote on X, "The opinion of @BJP4Karnataka MPs doesn’t matter to #ModiSarkar. Karnataka is a ‘Kamadhenu’ for the Central Government—we exist solely to funnel taxes to the BJP government, which are then redistributed to states like Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, and other BJP-ruled states. Waiting for Opposition leaders to visit Metro stations tomorrow and apologize to the people by giving them roses, just as they did earlier."

Also, read: Bengaluru Metro fare hike: Maximum fare up from Rs 60 to Rs 90