To,

The Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited,
3rd Floor, BMTC Complex,
K.H.Road Shanthinagar, 
Bengaluru 560027

Date: Jan 15, 2025 

SUBJECT: Rollback fare hike recommended by the fare fixation committee for Bangalore Metro

As per recent media reports and multiple sources, based on the fare fixation committee’s recommendation, BMRCL is set to approve 40-45 per cent fare hike in Bangalore Metro. The base fare is expected to rise to 15 and the maximum fare to 85 rupees. Also in 2017, Bangalore Metro increased the fare by 10-15 per cent and this fare hike which is a significant jump from the already existing fare in Bangalore Metro will put financial burden on the passengers using Bangalore Metro for their commute. Over the years, since its inception Namma Metro has become a lifeline for the people of Bangalore, allowing them to travel longer distances efficiently and at affordable prices. In fact affordability is one of the major factors for people in Bangalore to use Namma metro for their commute. There is a significant percentage of the population in Bangalore who use and are dependent on Namma Metro because of its affordability and moreover, already lower income groups in Bangalore don’t use the metro due to its existing fare. Increasing metro fares by 40-45 per cent will discourage even the existing passengers to not commute by Namma Metro and will in turn lead to a significant decrease in metro ridership similar to Delhi Metro where fare increase led to a decrease in ridership. Additional discounts during off-peak hours and Sundays and regular discounts of 5 per cent for smartcard and QR code ticket users wouldn’t help much in reducing the total travel cost for Namma metro users. 

As Bangalore city is facing acute traffic congestion due to the increasing number of private vehicles, efficient and affordable public transport becomes critical to fulfil the mobility needs of the people of Bangalore. Public transport is a sustainable source of mobility and as our cities are becoming chambers of climate change and increasing air pollution levels, there is a need to make public transport more affordable and accessible to encourage more people to use it rather than making it expensive and unaffordable for a majority of the population.

Namma Metro is a public transport aimed to meet the mobility requirements of people at an affordable cost. While fares help contribute to the revenue generation in public transport, there is a requirement of dedicated funding for public transport which can cover operational, maintenance and infrastructural costs rather than such expenses being borne by the passengers. Namma Metro should also actively seek out financial support from the Karnataka government as well as the union government to cover operational and maintenance costs rather than increasing the metro fares. Also, there are several big infrastructure projects like the upcoming tunnel road project, construction of flyovers etc being planned in Bangalore which are cost-heavy and require major financial support. While the government is coming up with such projects which will further choke Bengaluru city and create large-scale urban crisis, investing in public transport and making public transport affordable can help in re-imagining Bengaluru city as a clean, congestion-free and sustainable city. 

What we demand:

  • Roll back the fare hike in Bangalore metro as proposed by the fare fixation committee.
  • Make Bangalore metro more affordable
  • Create a dedicated metro fund with annual contributions from both state and national governments. This fund can cover the operational and maintenance requirements of Bangalore Metro
  • Adequate time should be provided for public feedback whenever a fare hike is proposed.
  • Public consultation involving multiple stakeholders like CSOs, rights based groups, student organisations etc should be organised before recommending any fare hike.

We sincerely hope that the concerned shall take these demands into consideration and work towards creating an efficient public transport system for the city of Bengaluru.

Thank you for your attention to this important matter.

Sincerely,

Greenpeace India