Bengaluru Metro Fare Hikes: A Political And Financial Quagmire

Bengaluru Metro has become India's most expensive transit system due to fare anomalies, sparking criticism. BJP MP Tejasvi Surya condemned the fare increases and blamed delays in metro construction as the main cost driver. He urged a new, transparent Fare Fixation Committee to prevent an additional 5% hike slated for February.

Bengaluru Metro has emerged as the costliest urban transport in India, attributed to anomalies in fare fixation, according to Bengaluru South BJP MP Tejasvi Surya. He attributes the high fares to state government negligence and frequent construction delays that have spiked project costs.

Currently, travelling by Bengaluru Metro is nearly twice as expensive as in other major cities like Delhi, Mumbai, and Chennai, leading to a notable decrease in ridership. Surya has criticized the state government and Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited's plans to further increase fares by 5% in February to mitigate operational losses.

Surya has petitioned for the formation of a new Fare Fixation Committee, emphasizing the need for a transparent and justified fare structure. He warns of protests if the government proceeds with the proposed fare hike without addressing the metro users' concerns.

(With inputs from agencies.)