Live in Bengaluru? Your metro rides will get costlier soon
What's the story
The Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) is all set to introduce a major fare hike, between 30% to 45%. This comes after Karnataka's state transport department recently hiked bus fares by 15%. A BMRCL officer confirmed the board is on the verge of approving the fare hike, with rising operational costs being the main reason.
Approval process
Fare hike approval and implementation timeline
The BMRCL officer further explained the necessity of the fare hike. "We are funded by various agencies and financial institutions and we have to clear those loans. Hence, hike is inevitable," the officer said. The board has approved the Fare Fixation Committee's recommendation for the fare revision. An official announcement of the new fare structure is expected soon.
Bus fare revision
Reason behind bus fare increase
The recent bus fare hike was justified by Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister HK Patil on the grounds of rising operational costs, including fuel prices and staff expenses. He said, "The cabinet has decided to revise the bus fare of the four state transport corporations...by 15%." This move is expected to generate an additional ₹74.84 crore monthly for the corporations.