In a significant development for the city’s commuters, the Central Government has temporarily put on hold the proposed hike in Bengaluru Metro fares. The move follows an intervention by Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya, who alleged that the state government’s push for a price increase is a direct result of its “weak finances.”
Speaking to the media, Surya confirmed that he had a telephonic conversation with the Union Minister for Urban Affairs, Manohar Lal Khattar, to apprise him of the situation.
“Just about 10 months ago, there was a near 100% increase in the metro prices, which has made the Bengaluru metro the costliest in the country,” Surya said. “The Union Minister has assured us that he has directed the concerned authorities not to go ahead with the state government’s hike proposal and has directed them to temporarily put it on hold.”
Tejasvi Surya vs. Congress: The Battle Over ‘Costliest Metro’ and Populist Schemes
The MP launched a scathing attack on the state administration, linking the fare hike proposal to the government’s current fiscal health. Surya claimed that previous Fair Fixation Committee proceedings clearly indicate that fare hikes happen at the “behest of the state government.”
“The state government is unable to finance and support the metro because of their weak finances, owing to their populist schemes,” Surya stated.
Commuter Relief
The intervention brings temporary relief to lakhs of daily commuters who were facing the prospect of a second fare hike within a year. While the BMRCL (Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited) had been moving toward the hike to sustain operations, the Centre’s “hold” order effectively stalls the process for now.
BMRCL’s Feb 9 Plan: How the Namma Metro Fare Revision Was Structured
The Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) had announced on Thursday that fares would be revised on a zone-by-zone basis starting February 9. The adjustment was framed as part of its annual automatic fare adjustment system. Under this new structure, Namma Metro fares were set to rise by Rs 1 to Rs 5 across 10 zones, with charges adjusted according to travel distances throughout the network.