Following a 15 percent increase in government bus fares, Bengalureans may face higher costs for public transport in 2025, as Namma Metro has put forward a proposal for a fare hike.
The fare fixation committee, constituted under the Metro Act 2002, submitted its final report recommending the hike to the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL). The board of BMRCL is set to decide on the proposal on January 17, with the new fare structure potentially coming into effect as early as the following day, Indian Express reported.
Fare Revision Justified by Inflation and Operational Costs
According to a BMRCL source, the fare revision comes after a span of seven and a half years. The report justifies the increase by citing a 45 per cent rise in the consumer price index since the last fare hike in June 2017. The source noted, This increase is not significant when considering the economic context and the costs involved in operating and expanding the metro network.
The current Namma Metro fares range from Rs 10 to Rs 60, with a 5 per cent discount available for travel card users. The last fare revision took place on June 18, 2017, when fares were raised by 10-15 per cent. The proposed hike is set to address the rising operational costs and the significant investments made in the expansion of the metro network.
The committee, led by Justice R Tharani, retired judge of the Madras High Court, also included Satyendra Pal Singh, Additional Secretary at the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, and E V Ramana Reddy, former additional chief secretary of Karnataka. The panel analyzed fare revision methodologies used by metros in Delhi, Singapore, and Hong Kong before recommending the hike.
Several factors have contributed to the proposed fare hike, including the significant investment in metro network expansion, operational costs of nearly Rs 50 crore per month, which includes Rs 7 crore for station and train security, as well as staff salaries and interest payments to funding agencies.