Bengaluru Metro spent Rs 26 lakh on foreign tours to study fare structures: RTI reply

“The FFC visited domestic and foreign metros to understand fare fixation methodologies. In India, Delhi Metro Rail Corporation was chosen as it is the leading one in the country. Chennai Metro Rail Limited, another important metro that's also close by, was also selected,” the RTI reply stated.

“Among foreign metros, MTR Hong Kong and SMRT Singapore were selected ,” it added.

Per the RTI response, BMRCL had proposed a 105.15 percent fare increase over 7.5 years (since 2017) — averaging a 14.02 percent annual hike. However, the FFC recommended, and BMRCL implemented, a 51.55 percent increase — translating to an average annual hike of 6.87 percent.

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

BMRCL refuses to share the FFC report and passenger revenue details

BMRCL has refused to share the report submitted by the FFC, under RTI Act. “The report will be made available to the public once it is uploaded on the BMRCL website,” the agency said.

Also, read: Why Bengaluru Metro's fare hike of up to 71% has raised hackles

BMRCL also declined to disclose daily ridership and revenue data from January 1 to March 31 2025, stating: “Revenue and boarding details are regularly uploaded on the BMRCL website.” However, Moneycontrol found that only boarding data for the current day is published, with no revenue figures available.

This lack of transparency contradicts the spirit of the RTI Act, introduced by the Congress-led Union government in 2005 to promote transparency and curb corruption.

Ridership hit

BMRCL sources told Moneycontrol that daily ridership has dropped from 8.7 to 7 lakh following the fare hike. Further decline is expected as the Karnataka High Court recently ordered the suspension of bike taxis within six weeks and directed the state government to frame rules for such services within three months.

In the absence of shared autos, the poor frequency of feeder buses, and auto rickshaws refusing to ply by the meter, many Metro users have been relying on bike taxis for first- and last-mile connectivity. The ban on these is likely to increase travel costs and may discourage people from using the Metro.

Also, read: Bike taxi ban & bus-metro fare hikes: A double whammy for Bengaluru's citizens

The HC, on April 1, dismissed a public interest litigation (PIL) challenging the fare hike. The petitioner had sought a 25 percent cap on fare increases. The bench ruled that fare revisions fall under the purview of Section 33 of the Metro Railways (Operation and Maintenance) Act, 2002, which empowers Metro authorities to revise fares via a designated committee.

Highest Metro fare in the country

BMRCL hiked fares on February 9, raising the maximum from ₹60 to ₹90. After short-distance fares doubled at several stations which triggered a public outrage, BMRCL capped the increase at 71 percent. Revised fares took effect on February 14, with officials admitting to initial calculation errors.

Also, read: After Karnataka CM's nudge, Bengaluru Metro caps fare hike at 71%

BMRCL also announced that a 5 percent discount would be available only to smart card users and not to those using QR code tickets. The minimum balance required on smart cards was also increased from Rs 50 to Rs 90.

BMRCL defended the hike saying that there had been no revisions since 2017. “Since March 2017, staff costs have increased by 42 percent, energy costs by 34 percent, and maintenance costs by 366 percent. We also have loan obligations of Rs 770 crore for the financial year 2024–25.”