Namma Metro Fare Hike Alert: What Changes for Commuters from Feb 14

Bengaluru: Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) Managing Director M Maheshwar Rao announced on Thursday that the maximum metro fare hike has been capped at 70% following a recalibration of fare slabs. The revised fares will come into effect from February 14.

This decision follows Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s intervention after concerns were raised about the recent metro fare hike being excessive.

In a post on X, Siddaramaiah stated that he had directed BMRCL to rectify the fare anomalies. "The way Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) has implemented the Bengaluru Metro fare revision has led to anomalies, with fares more than doubling in certain sections," he said.

Ridership Decline Amid Fare Hike

Later in the day, the BMRCL MD acknowledged errors in the calculation of some fare slabs. He noted that despite the fare hike, metro trains continued to operate at full capacity during peak hours. However, ridership has dropped by 8-10% since the fare increase.

BMRCL’s Response

In a statement, BMRCL said, "The Bangalore Metro Railway administration, to articulate the grievances of its commuters regarding a 100 per cent or more fare increase in their daily commute, deliberated for two days—day and night—to revisit the fare matrix, re-examine the recommendations of the Fare Fixation Committee (FFC), and find the best possible solution within the FFC’s framework without violating regulations to address commuters' concerns."

Passengers who paid higher fares over the past four days will not receive a refund, the MD clarified.

The statement further explained that fare determination is based on the originating station, with a total of 4,623 fare combinations after the revision. "Out of these 4,623 fare slabs, 600-odd slabs have seen rates increase by 80-100 per cent. We are evaluating how we can rationalize some of the fare slabs," the MD said, assuring that abnormal fares would be corrected, potentially reducing fares by 15-35%.

With the revised fare structure, around 46% of commuters—approximately 2,91,418 passengers—will benefit.

"This is being done without diluting the integrity and spirit of the Fare Fixation Committee (FFC) as per the Metro Railway (Operations & Maintenance) Act, which makes the recommendations binding on the Metro Rail Administration. By addressing the grievances expressed by the travelling public, our commitment is to provide mobility service to various sections of the people," BMRCL stated.

The revised fare slabs will be officially notified soon, the statement added.