Bengaluru: Bengaluru Metro has emerged as the costliest metro rail system in the country due to the Karnataka government’s alleged negligence in correcting anomalies in fare fixation, Bengaluru South BJP MP Tejasvi Surya said on Saturday, warning of protests if another proposed fare hike is implemented.
Tejasvi Surya claimed that metro travel in Bengaluru now costs nearly double compared to cities such as Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai, leading to a noticeable decline in the number of daily commuters opting for the service. He accused the state government and the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) of failing to safeguard commuter interests and instead burdening them with repeated and unscientific fare increases.
Allegations of fresh fare hike
The MP alleged that the state government and BMRCL are now planning to increase metro fares by another 5 per cent from February, ostensibly to offset operational and maintenance losses. According to him, these losses are largely self-inflicted and stem from repeated delays in metro construction projects, which have significantly escalated overall costs.
He argued that instead of addressing project inefficiencies and delays, the authorities were transferring the financial burden onto commuters. “This punishment meted out to people who use public transport is extremely unfortunate,” Surya said, adding that fare hikes discourage the use of public transport in a city already grappling with severe traffic congestion.
Impact of earlier fare revision
In February 2025, BMRCL revised metro fares based on the recommendations of the Fare Fixation Committee (FFC). The revision resulted in ticket prices increasing by as much as 71 per cent on certain routes, with the maximum fare going up to ₹90. Surya said commuters were still struggling to absorb the impact of that hike when talks of another increase surfaced.
“Even before people have recovered from the last fare hike, which was implemented just ten months ago, the authorities are proposing another 5 per cent increase from February 1. Governments should be encouraging public transport, not punishing those who depend on it daily,” he said.
According to Surya, cities such as Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata and Kochi have not witnessed fare hikes of a similar magnitude, raising questions about the rationale behind Bengaluru’s sharply higher ticket prices.
Call for new Fare Fixation Committee
The BJP MP reiterated his demand for the immediate reconstitution of the Fare Fixation Committee, arguing that the previous committee had committed “several blunders” and adopted an unscientific approach. He said the anomalies in the fare structure had directly contributed to Bengaluru Metro becoming prohibitively expensive.
Surya said he had written on Friday to Union Urban Affairs Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, and BMRCL Managing Director J Ravishankar, urging them to constitute a new FFC. He demanded that any proposed fare revision be implemented only after the new committee conducts a transparent and scientific assessment of costs and commuter affordability.
“The demand is very clear. Appoint a new fare fixation committee that will objectively and scientifically assess what fares should be levied. Only after that should any increase be considered,” he said.
Warning of protests
Warning of widespread protests, Surya said metro users across the city would unite if the government went ahead with what he termed an “anti-public” fare hike. “If the state government does not heed the cries of commuters and proceeds with this second unscientific fare hike, lakhs of metro users will join hands and protest at every metro station,” he said.
He added that public transport systems like the metro are critical to improving productivity and quality of life in large cities, and pricing them beyond the reach of ordinary commuters defeats their very purpose.
Centre–state blame game
Responding to the state government’s earlier claims that the Centre was responsible for the fare hike, Surya rejected the argument and said fare determination primarily rests with the Fare Fixation Committee, which is constituted at the request of the state government.
“There are not one but ten letters written by the state government and successive BMRCL managing directors requesting the Centre to constitute the Fare Fixation Committee. It was formed based on the state government’s request. Today, the state is blaming the Centre while refusing to accept accountability for its own decisions,” he said.
He questioned why metro fares had not increased similarly in other major cities if the Centre were indeed responsible. “If the central government were hiking metro fares across the country, why have prices not gone up in Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata or Kochi in proportion to Bengaluru?” he asked.
Political conspiracy claim dismissed
Surya also dismissed claims by the ruling Congress that the fare hike was politically motivated. He pointed out that Chennai and Kolkata, both governed by non-BJP parties and facing elections, had not seen comparable fare increases.
“If the intention was to politically target state governments, metro fares would have been raised in Chennai and Kolkata as well. The argument of political conspiracy does not hold water,” he said, accusing the state government of “blatant lying” on the issue.
Conclusion
The controversy over Bengaluru Metro fares has once again highlighted the tension between infrastructure financing and commuter affordability. With another fare hike reportedly on the anvil, pressure is mounting on the Karnataka government and BMRCL to revisit the fare structure, address alleged anomalies, and ensure that public transport remains accessible to the city’s growing population.