Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited under fire for ‘fleecing’ passengers, undermining public transport

Bengaluru: BMRCL's decision to hike Namma Metro fares for the second consecutive year triggered sharp criticism from regular commuters. Many accused the agency of fleecing passengers, arguing that repeated fare increases defeat the very purpose of promoting public transport.
Students, who rely heavily on Metro to commute, are likely to be hit hard by the fare hike. Unlike several other Metro systems in the country, BMRCL does not offer concessional monthly passes for students. Last year, based on the fare fixation committee (FFC) report, BMRCL proposed fare hikes of over 110%. Following public backlash, it rejigged the fare matrix and capped the maximum increase at 71%. Vijay S, a commuter, echoed similar concerns on X, saying, "Metro fares here are already among the highest compared to similar urban transit systems. Imposing an annual fare hike is unjustified. Public transport should not function like a profit-driven enterprise. A Metro system built with public funds has a social obligation to remain affordable, inclusive, and accessible."Rajesh Naidu, commuter, pointed out that higher fares could backfire. "Affordable fares increase ridership and overall revenue, while high fares push people away from the Metro. Why is BMRCL missing this simple logic?" he asked. Quotes Shreelata Patro, law student, who takes train from Trinity to Byappanahalli The trains in the mornings and evenings are jam-packed, with no space even to stand. There is no increase in the frequency of the train. My friends traveling on yellow line say how they end up waiting for 15-20 minutes if they narrowly miss a train. What is the logic for increasing it if you have nothing more to offer? Shivraj Desai, consultant in banking sector Looking at the escalating cost and the rush in trains, it is time to rethink about using Metro. The govt should ensure that people use the public transport so as to decrease the vehicles on roads and ease traffic. But, here they seem to be doing the opposite.Nimisha Kini (22), a regular commuterI spend Rs 4,000-5,000 a month on Metro travel. I live far from my workplace, but with these costs, I now need to think twice about whether to move closer or continue paying for Metro. This hike is not even allowing me to stay with my familyYuktha Chougule (27), a medical student, who commutes from Jayanagar to ChallaghattaLast year, BMRCL sharply hiked fares and reduced them slightly after public outrage. Now they increased the fares again. This makes no sense. They are taking commuters for granted. For students like us, even a small hike is significant. We depend on family support, and the stipend we receive is low. The Metro is the only way we can avoid spending hours on the road to travel just 15kmPolitical mudslingingThe fare hike also sparked political sparring between BJP and Congress leaders. Bangalore South MP Tejasvi Surya demanded that the state govt write to the Centre seeking reconstitution of the FFC and a reduction in fares. "The chief minister and deputy chief minister should write to the Central govt stating the state is not willing to implement the FFC recommendations and wants fares reduced. If they write the letter, we will take responsibility for reducing fares," he said. MP has urged the central govt for reconstitution of FFC.Surya also sought answers from DCM DK Shivakumar and the BMRCL MD on why Namma Metro fares are among the highest in the country. He alleged that inordinate delays in project execution led to cost overruns, which are now being recovered from commuters. DK Shivakumar said the state govt has no role in Metro fare revision, adding that such decisions are taken by the BMRCL Board, which is headed by the secretary of the ministry of housing and urban affairs. Transport minister Ramalinga Reddy hit back, accusing the BJP of unfairly targeting the state govt. "If the Central govt is serious about reducing fares, it should instruct BMRCL accordingly," he said. Reddy added the state govt bears a larger share of Metro construction costs and called on the Centre to increase subsidies to help reduce fares for Bengaluru's commuters.