Metro fare hike decided by Centre, not state: Siddaramaiah slams BJP

Photo: PTI

Bengaluru's Namma Metro has announced a fare hike starting from February 9, with the highest ticket price increasing from Rs 60 to Rs 90. This decision has led to a political debate, with Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah blaming the BJP for misleading people about the issue.

On Tuesday, Siddaramaiah released a statement, saying that the BJP is "spreading falsehoods" by blaming the Karnataka government for the fare hike. He explained that metro fares are not decided by the state government but by a committee set up by the Union government.

As protests grow against the fare increase, Siddaramaiah said, "BJP leaders, who are now opposing the hike, are spreading false information to mislead people and blame the Karnataka government." He added that questioning government policies is the right of the people, but spreading misleading information is wrong.

He pointed out that the same BJP leaders who take credit for Bengaluru Metro's expansion under the Centre’s leadership are now blaming the Karnataka government for the fare hike. He called this attitude "hypocrisy."

The Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) has confirmed that the minimum fare will stay at Rs 10 for short trips up to 2 km. However, for longer trips exceeding 25 km, the fare will increase to Rs 90.

BMRCL is a joint venture between the Union government and the Karnataka government, with both owning a 50-50 share. The current chairman of BMRCL is Srinivas Katikithala, who also serves as the Union Secretary for Housing and Urban Affairs.

The BMRCL board consists of officials from both governments, but it operates as an autonomous body. This means that the Karnataka government does not have full control over metro decisions. Like all other metro systems in India, BMRCL follows the Metro Railways (Operations and Maintenance) Act, 2002, which is under the Union government’s control.

BMRCL has not revised metro fares since 2017. BMRCL itself wrote to the Union government requesting a fare revision. If the Karnataka government had the authority to change fares, BMRCL would have approached the state government instead of the Centre.

In response to BMRCL’s request, the Union government formed a Fare Fixation Committee (FFC) under retired Madras High Court judge R. Tharani. This committee included representatives from both the Union and state governments. The committee was given three months to study the matter and recommend new fares.

The committee began its work on September 16, 2024. It consulted BMRCL officials, visited metro systems in Delhi and Chennai, and studied different fare structures. After detailed research and discussions, the committee submitted its final report on December 16, 2024.

The last time Bengaluru Metro revised its fares was in June 2017 when Phase 1 (42.3 km) was completed. Since then, the metro network has expanded. With the upcoming completion of Phase 2 by December 2026, the metro will cover 175.55 km.

The committee compared Bengaluru Metro fares with those of other cities. Currently, Bengaluru Metro’s fare ranges from Rs 10 to Rs 60. In comparison, Mumbai Metro fares range from Rs 10 to Rs 80.

Siddaramaiah pointed out that in most states, the initial fares for metro systems were set by the respective state governments. However, fare revisions are now decided by the Union government’s committee. As per Section 37 of the Metro Railways (Operations and Maintenance) Act, metro corporations must follow the recommendations made by this committee.

The revised fares are based on the committee’s recommendations, which BMRCL is legally required to implement.
The BJP has strongly opposed the fare hike and asked Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to withdraw it immediately. R. Ashoka, the Leader of the Opposition in the Karnataka Assembly, called the hike "irrational" and said it was unfair to increase fares by 50%. Following the announcement, the hashtag #BoycottMetro started trending on social media as many commuters voiced their anger.

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