Delhi metro fare hike: CM Arvind Kejriwal says hike led to congestion, pollution

AAP Delhi convener Gopal Rai also said the fares were hiked without taking into account the impact it would have on people.

The Delhi BJP, meanwhile, said the Delhi government was playing politics over the issue.

“We had been opposing the hike in Metro fare. Metro officials, the state government and even the Centre should understand that the Metro serves a larger purpose and it cannot be considered a money-minting business. If 3 lakh riders have stopped taking the Metro, it is not that they have stopped traveling. They are using other forms of transport — private vehicles or taxis — and this has increased vehicular traffic,” Praveen Shankar Kapoor, media in charge, Delhi BJP, said.

“However, the Kejriwal government cannot escape the blame for the fare hike as it is also a stakeholder in the Delhi Metro,” he said.

Union Urban Development Minister Hardeep Puri had justified the hike, saying the Metro should not be pushed into becoming a “loss-making body” like the Delhi Transport Corporation.

Delhi Congress president Ajay Maken tweeted, “The fare hike results in a daily drop of 3 lakh passengers. Both the Centre and Delhi government are responsible.”