The Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL), which usually records a ridership over 8 lakh, has seen a dip by nearly 1 lakh since the fare hike came into force on February 9. In the last three days, the ridership has dipped by 11 per cent, indicating a significant drop due to fare hike, which has faced severe public outcry. According to BMRCL data, February 9 recorded a ridership of around 8.6 lakh, followed by 8.2 lakh on February 10 (drop by 4 per cent), 7.7 lakh on February 11 (drop by 5 per cent) and 7.6 lakh on February 12 (1.3 per cent). Overall from February 9 to 12, Bengaluru Metro has seen a drop of 1 lakh passengers which is a drop of 11.63 per cent. Following a huge public backlash, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has urged BMRCL managing director Maheshwara Rao to review and reduce the fares. “The way BMRCL has implemented the Bengaluru Metro fare revision has led to anomalies, with fares more than doubling in certain sections. I have asked the MD of BMRCL to urgently address the issues and reduce fares where increases are abnormal. Commuters' interests must be safeguarded,” he said. The Save Bangalore Committee, a platform of citizens' organisations, has also planned a protest on February 15, opposing the ‘unscientific’ fare hike of Bengaluru Metro. Meanwhile, several commuters have demanded the rollback of the fare hike. Bangalore South MP Tejasvi Surya on Wednesday urged the Congress government to write to the Centre seeking a new panel to review the “unscientific” fare revision. He said the Metro must be encouraged as an affordable public transport model to resolve the city’s traffic chaos, adding that the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs had assured its support for revising the fares. Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) revised the fare on February 9, pushing the ticket prices by more than 50 per cent, following the recommendations made by the fare fixation committee. With a maximum fare of Rs 90, Bengaluru now has the costliest Metro in India. Maheshwara Rao, BMRCL Managing Director, said the corporation would review the fare hike as they are “taking in the criticisms constructively” and plug the anomalies, if any. BMRCL had said the hike was necessary to cover significant financial obligations, particularly loan repayments, which amount to Rs 500-800 crore annually. BMRCL had not revised fares since June 2017, when phase-1 (42.3 km) was completed. However, phase-2 is partially complete and the Metro network has expanded beyond 42.3 km. By December 2026, Metro lines 2, 2A and 2B (96.6 km) are expected to be completed, expanding the network to 175.55 km, necessitating more financial support.
