Bengaluru metro fare hike paused amid public backlash, political showdown
The Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited said its order announcing implementation of the annual fare revision from February 9 "has been kept on hold till further orders".
The proposed increase in fares on the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited network has been put on hold, days after it triggered sharp reactions from commuters and a political slugfest between the state and the Centre.
In a media statement issued on Saturday, Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited said its release dated February 5 announcing implementation of the annual fare revision from February 9 “has been kept on hold till further orders”. It added that a final decision would be communicated after a review by the board.
The operator reiterated that it remains committed to providing “safe, reliable and affordable” services to Bengalureans.
WHAT HAD BEEN ANNOUNCED EARLIER
Before the rollback, the metro had said fares would see a rise of Rs 1 to Rs 5 across 10 zones on the 96.10-km Namma Metro network.
Under the revised plan, travel for up to 2 km was to go up from Rs 10 to Rs 11, while the maximum fare for journeys beyond 30 km was set to increase from Rs 90 to Rs 95. For distances between 15 km and 20 km, commuters would have paid Rs 74 instead of Rs 70.
The corporation had also maintained that existing concessions would continue for smart card and National Common Mobility Card users — 5% during peak hours, 10% during non-peak hours, and 10% on Sundays and select national holidays.
Tourist passes and group tickets were to see an increase of up to 5% as part of the annual revision.
WHY THE HIKE WAS PLANNED
The yearly revision followed recommendations of the First Fare Fixation Committee, which had suggested smaller, regular increases to prevent the kind of steep jump seen when fares were last revised after several years.
Metro authorities had argued that such a formula would help ensure financial sustainability, meet rising operation and maintenance costs, and at the same time protect commuters from sudden, sharp hikes.
BJP VS CONGRESS OVER METRO FARE HIKE
However, the announcement drew strong public criticism, prompting the Government of Karnataka to distance itself from the decision.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah-led state government said it had no legal authority to fix or revise metro fares, stressing that under the Metro Railways (Operation & Maintenance) Act, the responsibility rests with an independent fare panel constituted by the Union government. The committee’s recommendations, it said, are binding on the metro administration.
Saying it understood the “concern and anguish” of commuters, the government maintained that public transport must remain affordable and inclusive. It added that it has formally urged the Centre to reconsider the recommended slabs and explore ways to rationalise fares, particularly for daily passengers, students and low-income groups.
The issue soon snowballed into a broader political confrontation, with the state accusing the BJP of protesting locally while failing to raise the matter in Delhi, and the opposition blaming the state for attempting to evade responsibility.
Reacting to the development, Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya said the move validated the sustained opposition to the proposal.
“As promised, BMRCL has temporarily stayed the proposed metro fare hike from tomorrow. This is a victory for the people of Bengaluru who have continuously opposed this unjust increase for over a year. I thank Union Urban Affairs Minister Khattar ji and the Government of India for their timely intervention in stopping the anti-people proposal of the state government,” he said.
Surya, however, termed the pause only a temporary relief. “Like earlier governments did, the state must resume providing shadow cash support to the metro and move to reconstitute a new Fare Fixation Committee for a just, scientific and transparent revision. Our fight for affordable public transport in a city battling severe traffic will continue,” he added.
State minister Priyank Kharge hit back, accusing the BJP of double standards.
“If a metro line is extended by a metre, Modi gets the credit; if the ticket goes up by one rupee, the state government is blamed. This is the logic the BJP uses,” he said.
Kharge argued that the fare is decided by an independent committee constituted by the Centre under the Metro Railways Act. “The committee is formed by the Union government. When a proposal for fare revision comes, the authority to decide lies with the Centre. The panel follows a formula for annual revision. The chairperson is appointed by the Centre, and the members nominated by the Centre are more in number. As per the rules, Namma Metro has to accept the committee’s recommendations. People in public life should know this. Do BJP leaders not know this, or are they deliberately playing politics with lies?” he asked.
He added that the state had in 2024 requested the formation of a fare panel, but BJP leaders were now trying to mislead people by citing old correspondence. “Now reports say the Centre has kept the fare hike in abeyance. Doesn’t this itself show that the matter moves according to decisions of the Union government?” Kharge said.
The proposed increase in fares on the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited network has been put on hold, days after it triggered sharp reactions from commuters and a political slugfest between the state and the Centre.
In a media statement issued on Saturday, Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited said its release dated February 5 announcing implementation of the annual fare revision from February 9 “has been kept on hold till further orders”. It added that a final decision would be communicated after a review by the board.
The operator reiterated that it remains committed to providing “safe, reliable and affordable” services to Bengalureans.
WHAT HAD BEEN ANNOUNCED EARLIER
Before the rollback, the metro had said fares would see a rise of Rs 1 to Rs 5 across 10 zones on the 96.10-km Namma Metro network.
Under the revised plan, travel for up to 2 km was to go up from Rs 10 to Rs 11, while the maximum fare for journeys beyond 30 km was set to increase from Rs 90 to Rs 95. For distances between 15 km and 20 km, commuters would have paid Rs 74 instead of Rs 70.
The corporation had also maintained that existing concessions would continue for smart card and National Common Mobility Card users — 5% during peak hours, 10% during non-peak hours, and 10% on Sundays and select national holidays.
Tourist passes and group tickets were to see an increase of up to 5% as part of the annual revision.
WHY THE HIKE WAS PLANNED
The yearly revision followed recommendations of the First Fare Fixation Committee, which had suggested smaller, regular increases to prevent the kind of steep jump seen when fares were last revised after several years.
Metro authorities had argued that such a formula would help ensure financial sustainability, meet rising operation and maintenance costs, and at the same time protect commuters from sudden, sharp hikes.
BJP VS CONGRESS OVER METRO FARE HIKE
However, the announcement drew strong public criticism, prompting the Government of Karnataka to distance itself from the decision.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah-led state government said it had no legal authority to fix or revise metro fares, stressing that under the Metro Railways (Operation & Maintenance) Act, the responsibility rests with an independent fare panel constituted by the Union government. The committee’s recommendations, it said, are binding on the metro administration.
Saying it understood the “concern and anguish” of commuters, the government maintained that public transport must remain affordable and inclusive. It added that it has formally urged the Centre to reconsider the recommended slabs and explore ways to rationalise fares, particularly for daily passengers, students and low-income groups.
The issue soon snowballed into a broader political confrontation, with the state accusing the BJP of protesting locally while failing to raise the matter in Delhi, and the opposition blaming the state for attempting to evade responsibility.
Reacting to the development, Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya said the move validated the sustained opposition to the proposal.
“As promised, BMRCL has temporarily stayed the proposed metro fare hike from tomorrow. This is a victory for the people of Bengaluru who have continuously opposed this unjust increase for over a year. I thank Union Urban Affairs Minister Khattar ji and the Government of India for their timely intervention in stopping the anti-people proposal of the state government,” he said.
Surya, however, termed the pause only a temporary relief. “Like earlier governments did, the state must resume providing shadow cash support to the metro and move to reconstitute a new Fare Fixation Committee for a just, scientific and transparent revision. Our fight for affordable public transport in a city battling severe traffic will continue,” he added.
State minister Priyank Kharge hit back, accusing the BJP of double standards.
“If a metro line is extended by a metre, Modi gets the credit; if the ticket goes up by one rupee, the state government is blamed. This is the logic the BJP uses,” he said.
Kharge argued that the fare is decided by an independent committee constituted by the Centre under the Metro Railways Act. “The committee is formed by the Union government. When a proposal for fare revision comes, the authority to decide lies with the Centre. The panel follows a formula for annual revision. The chairperson is appointed by the Centre, and the members nominated by the Centre are more in number. As per the rules, Namma Metro has to accept the committee’s recommendations. People in public life should know this. Do BJP leaders not know this, or are they deliberately playing politics with lies?” he asked.
He added that the state had in 2024 requested the formation of a fare panel, but BJP leaders were now trying to mislead people by citing old correspondence. “Now reports say the Centre has kept the fare hike in abeyance. Doesn’t this itself show that the matter moves according to decisions of the Union government?” Kharge said.