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The Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) is unlikely to roll back the revised Namma Metro fares introduced on February 9, despite concerns being raised about the decision-making process behind the hike. Citizens and Bangalore South MP Tejasvi Surya have pointed out errors in the Fare Fixation Committee (FFC) report
released in September last year. They claim BMRCL wrongly pushed for a steep and "illogical" 105% increase that does not match what the FFC had actually suggested.
Increased Metro Fare Leading to Confusion
Urban transport expert Satya Arikutharam also criticised the report. He stated that BMRCL used the Delhi Metro fare formula incorrectly, chose the wrong base year for cost calculations, exaggerated route lengths while estimating operational costs, and did not properly implement the FFC's instructions. In response, BMRCL clarified on social media that the 105.2% figure mentioned in the report was misunderstood. It was not the proposed fare hike but rather a cost index showing how operational expenses had increased since 2017. This index did not include major costs, including salaries, energy, or depreciation.
BMRCL added that the FFC's actual fare increase recommendations ranged between 0% and 81.8% across different distance slabs, with an average of about 51.6%. After further analysis and testing over 600 fare combinations, BMRCL stated it reduced the maximum hike to 71.4% for any station-to-station journey. Out of 4,624 fare combinations in the system, more than 70% saw hikes between 30% and 60%, while 7.6% increased up to 71.4%. Interestingly, nearly 3% of fares were reduced. BMRCL also explained that the 366% number seen in the report referred to a weighted increase in maintenance and administration costs over 7.5 years, not a yearly rise.
To reduce passenger burden, BMRCL introduced smart-card discounts, off-peak pricing, and holiday concessions. Ridership dipped initially but recovered after the Yellow Line began operations.
