Bangalore Metro Fare Increase to Proceed as Scheduled Despite Political Controversy
The Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) has confirmed that no official directives have been received to cancel the revised metro rail tariffs, which are set to take effect this Monday. This announcement comes amidst growing political tension and public concern over the fare adjustment, which ranges from Re 1 to ₹5 across various routes.
Official Confirmation and Political Claims
A senior BMRCL official stated clearly to PTI news agency, "We have not received any direction to roll back Metro fares. Therefore, whatever was announced earlier will hold." This definitive statement puts to rest speculation about any last-minute changes to the scheduled tariff implementation.
However, the situation became more complex on Saturday when Tejasvi Surya, the BJP Member of Parliament representing Bengaluru South, made a significant claim. Surya asserted that Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs Manohar Lal Khattar had instructed authorities to temporarily pause the intended fare hike. According to Surya, the Union Minister promised a personal investigation into discrepancies within the existing Fare Fixation Committee (FFC) and indicated that a new committee could potentially be formed if requested by the state government.
Public Feedback and Political Blame Game
Earlier on Saturday, Surya engaged directly with metro passengers to gather firsthand feedback about the impending price increase. Speaking to media representatives afterward, he revealed that commuters expressed significant frustration with the regularity of these tariff changes. Based on this feedback, Surya formally called for the establishment of a new Fare Fixation Committee to address these concerns systematically.
The political dimension intensified as Surya made serious allegations against state leadership. The BJP MP accused Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar of "misleading the public by blaming the Centre for the fare hike." This accusation added fuel to an already heated political debate surrounding the metro fare revision.
Simultaneously, Union Minister for Steel and Heavy Industries HD Kumaraswamy entered the fray, placing responsibility squarely on the state administration. Kumaraswamy claimed that the state government was pushing for the fare increase despite the central government's advice to halt it. The JD(S) leader told reporters in Mysuru, "After increasing Metro fares, the state government is passing the buck to the Centre, which is untrue." He further accused the state of failing to maintain cooperative relationships with the central government regarding the execution of federal policies and programs.
State Government's Position and Committee Recommendations
On the same day, Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar offered his perspective on the matter. He revealed that the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation had not consulted with him before revising the fare prices. Shivakumar assured the public that he would discuss the matter further, stating, "They didn't consult us. They have the authority, as the Central Government Secretary serves as the chairman. He has taken this decision. I do not want to cause any trouble for the public, and I plan to discuss the matter further. I will also review the financial structure of the decision."
The First Fare Fixation Committee (FFC), which recommended the revised fare structure for BMRCL, made several important observations in their report:
- The fare revision comes after 7.5 years without changes
- Optimization of fare zones has been reduced from 29 to 10
- These changes have resulted in an average fare increase of 51.55%
To prevent such infrequent but steep fare increases in the future, the committee made a crucial recommendation. They proposed implementing an Annual Automatic Fare Revision Formula that would be transparent and linked with Operation & Maintenance costs or limited to 5% per annum, whichever is lower, with amounts rounded to the nearest rupee. This systematic approach aims to create more predictable and manageable fare adjustments for Bangalore's metro commuters.
