Bengaluru Metro users demand disclosure of fare fixation report, revenue details

Bengaluru Metro

Bengaluru Metro users have demanded transparency from Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (BMRCL), urging it to disclose the fare fixation report and passenger revenue details.

Despite an up to 71 percent increase in fares, which makes Namma Metro the most expensive in the country, BMRCL has refused to share the report prepared by the Fare Fixation Committee (FFC) and daily ridership revenue data under RTI Act.

Also read: Bengaluru Metro charges should not exceed 1.5 times non-AC bus fare: E Sreedharan

In response to a Right to Information (RTI) application filed by Moneycontrol, BMRCL said: “The report will be made available to the public once it is uploaded on the BMRCL website.” The agency also declined to disclose daily ridership and revenue figures for the period from January 1 to March 31, 2025.

As reported by Moneycontrol, Bengaluru Metro spent Rs 26 lakh on foreign tours to study fare structures, triggering outrage on social media. BMRCL officials and members of the Fare Fixation Committee undertook study tours to Hong Kong and Singapore, which costing taxpayers Rs 26 lakh.

Criticism has since mounted, with commuters and public figures questioning the rationale behind the fare hike.

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

Bengaluru Central MP PC Mohan has slammed the fare revision, citing inconsistencies in short-distance fares. “Bengaluru Metro spent Rs 26 lakh on foreign tours to study fare structures, only to set the fare as follows: Cubbon Park to Baiyyappanahalli: Rs 28; Vidhana Soudha (just one stop before Cubbon Park) to Baiyyappanahalli: Rs 38. Turns out, logic didn’t make the return trip,” Mohan said.

Rajkumar Dugar, a mobility activist, wrote on X, “After foreign tours, they made Namma Metro the costliest Metro in the country!! Public transport must be inclusive and encourage people to leave their own vehicles behind. Raising Metro fares is against the interests of the city.”

Another user Srinidhi commented: “So the learning from foreign tours is how not to be transparent and how to be the most expensive!? This breaks the basic tenets of a public organisation, right?”

Metro user Sushruth Reddy said: “What are they trying to hide? What’s the use of RTI if some things aren’t shared with the public? This is selective RTI rather than transparent RTI.”

Another user Satya wrote: “Rs 26 lakh to know how fares are fixed in foreign cities! ChatGPT or Grok will give that info in milliseconds. Bengaluru—you’ve been taken for a royal ride. On what grounds does BMRCL refuse?”.  Shashi Bangalore, another X user posted: “Not being transparent is the hallmark of BMRCL. This needs necessary intervention.”

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