- After a latest fare hike by Bengaluru metro there was widespread concern amongst commuters, civic activists and mobility specialists.
- Consultants level out that whereas pursuing enterprise or monetary sustainability, the general public transport company is misplacing its precedence of offering inexpensive mobility.
- Because the fare hike, there was a relentless decline within the metro ridership.
Shashank Manae, an engineer, travels by Bengaluru metro from Vijay Nagar to Swami Vivekananda Street, a distance of about 18 kilometres, for work. Manae used to pay Rs. 35 per journey till earlier this month and now pays Rs. 60 after the metro fares had been elevated. For him, the fare hike just isn’t burning a gap in his pocket as of now. Nevertheless, if it retains growing at this price, he says, he should think about beginning to use his scooter for his every day commute.
The Bangalore Metro Rail Company Restricted (BMRCL), liable for operating the metro in Bengaluru, hiked its fares earlier this month, now making it the most expensive metro service in India. Efficient February 9, 2025, the utmost fare is elevated from Rs. 60 to Rs. 90, marking a rise by 50% of the fare. Nevertheless, for Manae and lots of others the hike has led to their ticket costs growing by greater than 70 p.c. Earlier than this, the BRCL had revised the fare in 2017. The transfer has ignited widespread concern amongst commuters, civic activists and mobility specialists alike. Aside from the hike, the BMRCL has additionally elevated the restrict for the minimal required steadiness on the sensible card from Rs. 50 to Rs. 90.
Misplaced priorities?
One of many main reasons behind the fare hike is taken into account to be the growing prices and mortgage repayments for the BMRCL which began its operations in 2011. Nevertheless, specialists level out that with a view to discover enterprise sustainability so early within the service, the general public transport company is misplacing its precedence of offering inexpensive and seamless mobility to the general public.
The brand new transfer doesn’t appear to be within the path of serving to in decongesting the town roads or offering folks with an inexpensive public transport possibility. Manae and lots of others really feel that any fare hike from this level will pressure them to make use of two-wheelers for his or her common commute which will probably be inexpensive and likewise remedy the problem of final mile connectivity. “My workplace is eighteen kilometres from my house for which I’m paying Rs. 60 per journey within the metro. I’m utilizing a feeder service to my workplace from the metro station proper now, however often in an auto that additionally prices Rs. 30 per journey. So, my one-day expense is about Rs. 180. If I exploit a two-wheeler, the identical cash will final for 3 days, and within the case of an electrical scooter will probably be even cheaper,” Manae instructed Mongabay India.
Ashish Verma, Professor and Convenor of IISc Sustainable Transportation Lab (IST Lab) talks about demand elasticity and explains how growing the fare at this price just isn’t a superb enterprise choice, particularly when the providers should not on the optimum capability. “For max folks to make use of the general public transport throughout the revenue teams (decrease and better), you want to preserve the fare inexpensive. You suppose by growing the fare your income will improve however you don’t realise that the demand may even come down. So, your internet income will not be greater than earlier. Even whether it is greater than earlier, there will probably be a loss within the ridership, we’re then compromising on the necessary facet of public transport,” Verma explains.
BMRCL has posted operational profit for the final two monetary years (2022-23 and 2023-24) and was in a position to supply its curiosity value from working surpluses. Throughout the monetary 12 months 2023-24, the BMRCL earned a fare field income (from ticket gross sales and different direct funds from passengers for rides) of Rs. 573.91 crore and non-fare field income (from sources aside from passenger fares corresponding to promoting, retail and so on.) of Rs. 416.11 crore. The corporate posted an operational revenue of Rs. 376.95 crore and revenue after finance value of Rs. 14.21 crore. Within the monetary 12 months 2022-23, the fare field income stood at Rs. 422.61 crore and non-fare field income at Rs. 361.94 crore. BMRCL posted an operational revenue of Rs. 297.94 crore and revenue after finance value of Rs. 4.15 crore.
The Bengaluru metro, with a protection of 77 kilometres, has the second longest metro community in India after the Delhi metro which enjoys a protection of over 300 kilometres. The Delhi metro which has been within the enterprise since 2002 continues to be not worthwhile. “Nowhere on the planet are they (public transport companies) anticipated to be worthwhile,” Verma provides.
A transfer to extend visitors
Town of Bengaluru is notorious for its visitors snarls. Town can also be considered the second most congested metropolis in India after Kolkata and the third most congested metropolis on the planet by TomTom traffic index 2024.
As of January 2025, there have been 1,08,41,675 non-transport automobiles registered in Bengaluru out of which 25,15,488 had been non-public vehicles and 82,09,932 two-wheelers.
“In the event you take a look at the Bengaluru metro itself, initially, it has been catering to the center class and above. It was additionally not permitting the road distributors and hawkers and others to hold all their wares. In order that had anyway saved a sure part out of the attain of the metro. I feel it’s focused to catch a sure part of the inhabitants in Bengaluru and not likely focussed on eradicating automobiles from the street,” says Bhargavi S. Rao, trustee of Setting Help Group (ESG), a Bengaluru-based belief engaged on environmental and social justice initiatives. “The final mile connectivity of the metro is a nightmare. So now with the rise within the fare, clearly folks will choose to maneuver again to their personalised modes of transport,” she added.
“Journey value is a vital parameter of the utility that each mode presents to a commuter who needs to decide on a particular mode to journey. While you improve the fare of public transport you lower the utility within the eyes of the commuter as a shopper. Clearly with these greater fares, there will probably be discount within the mode share of the metro and this may increasingly both go to bus, automotive or two-wheeler or some other modes accessible,” Verma explains.
Earlier than the fare hike, Bengaluru metro used to report a every day ridership of over 8 lakh passengers, nonetheless since February 9, there’s a fixed decline within the ridership. Based on BMRCL data, ridership on February 9 was about 8.6 lakh (860,000), 8.2 lakh (820,000) on February 10, and seven.7 lakh (770,000) on February 11. On February 17 additionally the ridership remained beneath 8 lakhs, at 7.8 lakh (780,000).
Lack of transparency
Based on BMRCL, the fare was revised as per the advice of the fare fixation committee (FFC). The committee was fashioned within the 12 months 2024, in keeping with the provisions of the Metro (Operation and Maintenance) Act, 2002.
Based on the act, the FFC needs to be headed by a sitting or retired excessive court docket choose and have two representatives from central and state governments. Consultants have identified the shortage of transparency within the fare revision course of and have additionally referred to as for a extra scientific than bureaucratic course of.
“The whole fare hike is unscientific. It’s such as you (BMRCL) are liable for operating the funds of an organization however you aren’t liable for income administration. On the finish of the day, BMRCL is comprised of each central authorities and state authorities, so why can’t the board (BMRCL board of administrators) itself take a choice like they did in 2017? Why ought to it depend upon some fare fixation committee whereby it’s utterly unaccountable?” Satya Arikutharam, an city mobility skilled, says.
Within the absence of FFC in 2017, BMRCL board of administrators selected a 10 percent fare increase.
“Principally, it’s the quantity of discretion offered to this fare fixation committee that’s the downside. They don’t specify how they must go about altering the fares. So, relying on whom you select (within the committee) and their very own proclivities and inclination they provide you with no matter random quantity they suppose that’s proper. That’s precisely what’s occurred in Bengaluru,” he added.
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Delays creating lifeless belongings
The tempo of the metro building in Bengaluru has been gradual. Because the begin of its operations in 2011, it has lined 77 kilometres community, with the purple line masking 43.5 kilometres and the inexperienced line spanning 33.5 kilometres. A 3rd line, the yellow line, which was purported to be accomplished by December 2022, is but to begin.
Frequent delays in beginning the yellow line have change into a reason for criticism for the BMRCL, and likewise turned the brand new venture right into a ‘lifeless asset’ to an extent as it’s incurring mortgage curiosity funds and never contributing to income. The BMRCL can also be planning to make use of the income from the revised fare to fund the bills of the yellow line.
“I feel no one, no truthful committee in its proper sense would agree for the general public to fund the long run enlargement of the metro. If I had been to do this, I might change into a shareholder, isn’t it?” asks Arikutharam.
Verma, alternatively, feels that although BMRCL wants funds for the yellow line and future enlargement, its burden shouldn’t be placed on the commuters. “Whereas these are real considerations of BMRCL, the burden of this shouldn’t be placed on the fare field,” he stated. “That is an instance of misplaced precedence. On one hand the federal government of Karnataka is so gung-ho about these street infrastructure initiatives, they’re able to put Rs. 20 thousand crores for an 18-kilometre tunnel street, however why don’t you give attention to procuring these trains and begin operating the providers,” he provides.
“Rs. 300 crore is the extra income which BMRCL might have gotten had the yellow line been operational at present. Since it’s not operational, they’re transferring that burden to us (the commuters). I feel the actual fact is we’re paying for the procurement errors of BMRCL, which didn’t procure the yellow line coaches in good time. And worse, now the fares will proceed to rise sooner or later from an unfair excessive base fare,” Arikutharam added.
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Banner picture: A metro station on the magenta line, a part of the Bengaluru metro. The Bangalore Metro Rail Company Restricted (BMRCL), liable for operating the metro in Bengaluru, hiked its fares this month, now making it the most costly metro service in India. Picture by Abhilash Krishna.
