Explainer: Why Bengaluru Metro is India's most expensive ride
Bengaluru Metro fares shot up by 72% in February 2025, making it the most expensive metro ride in India.
This hike far exceeded the Fare Fixation Committee's (FFC) recommendations, drawing criticism from experts and daily riders.
Experts' take on fare hike
Experts like Satya Arikutharam say BMRCL used outdated 2016-17 data to calculate costs, missing out on updated figures and not fully accounting for the network's growth from 42km to over 70km by 2024.
This led to repair and admin costs being overstated by nearly three times.
People paying 1-third more than necessary
Because of these errors, BMRCL projected a massive 105% fare hike instead of a justified 40%.
As a result, people are now paying about one-third more than necessary—something that's drawn criticism from both experts and daily riders.
BMRCL, FFC's stance on fare hike
BMRCL says the fare reflects real expenses, pointing to audited manpower and energy costs.
The FFC has suggested switching to small annual hikes (around 5%) going forward to avoid any more sudden shocks for commuters.