Bengaluru Metro fare hike: CM calls for reduction as ridership falls
Many dissatisfied Metro commuters took to social media platforms with the hashtag #RollbackMetroFareHike where they expressed concern and how this is a step backward in promoting public transport.
After the recent fare hike, Bengaluru Metro's ridership has fallen by about 10 per cent, as per the data from the Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) on Tuesday (February 11).
The BMRCL said that it had hiked the Bengaluru Metro (Namma Metro) ticker prices by an average of 51.5 per cent (45 to 46 per cent after discount) starting from Monday (February 10). However, it is almost 100 per cent or more in some routes.
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Namma Metro recorded a ridership of 7.78 lakh on Tuesday, an approximately 10 per cent drop from the 8.5-9 lakh usually recorded on weekdays. Monday, the first weekday since the fare hike, saw a ridership of 8.28 lakh, a 6 per cent drop over the average of 8.8 lakh seen on Mondays this year. Ridership appeared to slide further on Tuesday, with only 7,78,774 passengers travelling by Metro, according to a report in Deccan Herald.
Congress vs BJP over fare hike
The price hike in Bengaluru Metro tickets has been criticised by the locals and it has turned into a political war of words between the ruling Congress in the state and the Opposition BJP.
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While the BJP leaders have blamed the Siddaramaiah-led Congress administration for the Bengaluru Metro price hike, the grand old party has hit back saying that it has no role, and is decided by the Union government.
There have been protests by both the Congress and BJP over the Metro fare hike.
CM calls for reducing fares
Amid the backlash over the Metro fare hike, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has directed BMRCL to "urgently address" the anomalies and reduce the "abnormal" fares in some sections.
“The way Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (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 these issues and reduce fares where increases are abnormal. Commuters' interests must be safeguarded,” Siddaramaiah posted on his X (formerly Twitter) handle on Thursday (February 13).
On Tuesday, Siddaramaiah said he has no control over the BMRCL’s decision to hike metro fares. He said that the fare revision was decided by a Union government-appointed committee.
"Clarifying the facts on Bengaluru Metro fare hike. The fare revision was decided by a Union Government-appointed committee, and BMRCL is legally bound to implement it. The Karnataka Government had no role in this decision. BJP must stop misleading the people and take responsibility for its actions," the chief minister posted on X along with a two-page letter explaining the facts leading to a fare hike and who decides it.
#RollbackMetroFareHike campaign on social media
Meanwhile, many dissatisfied Metro commuters took to social media platforms with the hashtag #RollbackMetroFareHike where they expressed concern and how this is a step backward in promoting public transport.
Commuters see the fare hike as unreasonable with some even calling it "daylight robbery". Many expressed that the Metro is for common people, and the middle and lower classes are suffering from the fare hike.