Bengaluru Metro fare hike sparks political row; BMRCL to review anomalies

Many netizens have started the hashtag campaign #RevokeMetroFareHike, protesting against the steep increase in Metro fares.

The steep increase in Bengaluru Metro fares has triggered a political row in Karnataka, with both the BJP and Congress blaming each other.

Many passengers, especially those traveling short distances, said that fares have almost doubled. For instance, the fare for Byappanahalli in East Bengaluru to MG Road has increased to Rs 40 from the previous Rs 20, while the fare from Byappanahalli to Vidhana Soudha has jumped to Rs 50 from Rs 25. This has forced many commuters to look for alternative modes of transport.

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

BMRCL officials admitted that they have received several complaints after the fare revision, which was implemented on February 9. "We are now studying anomalies in the fare structure, especially on short-distance routes where there is a steep hike. We are also considering providing a 5 percent discount for those paying via QR code, as it is now available only for smart card users. We are also discussing whether we can reduce the minimum balance required in smart cards from Rs 90 to Rs 60," a senior BMRCL official told Moneycontrol.

Bengaluru Metro now has the highest fares in the country. Despite having only a 76 km network, it charges Rs 90 for distances above 25 km, while Delhi Metro, with a 353 km network, charges Rs 60 for distances exceeding 32 km.

While BMRCL states that, as per Section 37 of the Metro Railway O&M Act, the recommendations made by the Fare Fixation Committee shall be binding on the Metro Railway Administration, others pointed out that in 2021, the then Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, Edappadi K Palaniswami, reduced the maximum fare from Rs 70 to Rs 50.

While BJP workers staged protests at major Metro stations in Bengaluru on February 10, Congress blamed the BJP-led Union government for the hike. Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy wrote on X that BJP leaders in Karnataka were ignorantly blaming the state for the fare hike when it was actually decided by a central committee under the Union Housing & Urban Development Secretary, not the state. He added that those who once took credit for Bengaluru's Metro were now silent and questioned whether the BJP would own this hike or simply blame Congress.

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

Opposition leader R Ashoka accused the Congress government of burdening the common man by hiking Metro fares by 50 percent. He said the hike makes the Metro unaffordable, forcing people to rely on personal vehicles. Instead of promoting public transport, the government was pushing commuters away. He urged the Congress government to roll back the decision immediately.

Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya also criticised the fare hike, saying that the Karnataka government was discouraging public transport. He pointed out that Bengaluru commuters now pay Rs 60 for 12 km, while Delhi commuters pay only Rs 30. The maximum fare has jumped from Rs 60 to Rs 90, a 50 percent increase. With rising bus fares as well, he said the burden on people had increased and that no other Metro in India charged such high fares.

Karnataka IT Minister Priyank Kharge countered the criticism, saying that the opinion of BJP MPs in Karnataka did not matter to the Modi government. He accused the BJP-led central government of treating Karnataka as a "Kamadhenu," existing solely to funnel taxes to the Centre, which are then redistributed to BJP-ruled states like Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Bihar. Mocking the BJP, he said he was waiting for Opposition leaders to go to Metro stations the next day and apologise to commuters by handing out roses, just as they had done in previous protests.

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