- By Aditya Jha
- Sat, 04 Jan 2025 10:15 AM (IST)
- Source:JND
Bengaluru News: Amid demands for a fare hike from several public transport systems, Bengaluru Metro might also increase its fare from January 18. Bengaluru Namma Metro, which has emerged as a crucial alternative for traditional means of transport and has helped in decongesting the traffic in Silicon City, is likely to make the announcement after the BMTC announced a fare hike of 15 per cent.
The government had appointed the Fare Fixation Committee to examine the situation and recommend whether it was necessary to revise the fare structure. The committee in its report to the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) has suggested a hike of nearly 20 per cent in its final report, reported the New Indian Express, citing sources. Upon considering all the other important factors, the final decision on the report will be taken by the BMRCL Board, which meets on January 17.
“The Committee was appointed under the Metro Act 2002 and its recommendations are binding on BMRCL. The Board is likely to approve it as the fare is being hiked after seven-and-a-half years. This cannot be viewed as a substantial hike if we consider the fact that the Consumer Price Index (CPI) in the country has gone up by 45% in the years following the previous hike,” a source was quoted as saying by TNIE.
The committee had three members headed by Justice R Tharani, retired Madras High Court judge, and the other members are Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs Satyendra Pal Singh and EV Ramana Reddy, former Additional Chief Secretary, Karnataka.
The committee had a deadline of December 15, 2024, to submit the final recommendations. The previous fare hike of 10-15 per cent was implemented on June 18, 2017. While the minimum fare on Bengaluru Metro's 76.95-km network is Rs 10 at present, the maximum fare is Rs 60.