Namma Metro suggests fare increase; BMRCL decision expected on January 17
Following a 15 percent increase in government bus fares, Bengalureans might face higher public transport costs in 2025 as Namma Metro has proposed a fare hike. The fare fixation committee, formed under the Metro Act of 2002, has submitted its final report recommending the revision to the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL). The BMRCL board is scheduled to decide on the proposal on January 17, with the revised fares potentially coming into effect the next day.
According to a BMRCL source, this is the first fare revision in seven and a half years. The report justifies the increase by highlighting a 45 percent rise in the consumer price index since the last fare adjustment in June 2017. The source added that the proposed hike is modest given the economic conditions and the operational and expansion costs of the metro network.
Currently, Namma Metro fares range from ?10 to ?60, with a 5 percent discount for travel card users. The last fare hike occurred on June 18, 2017, when rates were raised by 10-15 percent. The proposed revision aims to address rising operational expenses and significant investments in the metro's expansion.
The committee, led by retired Madras High Court judge Justice R Tharani, 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 studied fare revision practices in metros such as those in Delhi, Singapore, and Hong Kong before recommending the increase.
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