BMRCL’s New Metro Fare Structure to Reduce Fares by 15-35% in Some Sections

In a significant development, the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) has capped the maximum increase in metro fare at 70% after recalibrating fare slabs. This decision comes after Chief Minister Siddaramaiah intervened, following complaints from commuters that the recent metro fare hike was exorbitant.

The BMRCL Managing Director, M Maheshwar Rao, announced on Thursday that the new fare structure will be implemented from February 14. The move aims to address the anomalies in the metro rail fare structure, which had led to fares more than doubling in certain sections.

According to Rao, even after the fare hike, the trains have been running at 100% capacity in peak hours. However, the ridership has fallen by 8-10% since the fare hike.

The BMRCL held a two-day deliberation to address the grievances of commuters regarding the 100% or more fare increase in their daily commutation. The corporation revisited the fare matrix to study the recommendations of the Fare Fixation Committee (FFC) and found a way to address the grievances without violating the statute.

Will you get a refund?

Passengers who paid inflated fares in the last four days will not receive a refund, the MD clarified.

The fare is fixed based on the originating station, and there are a total of 4,623 fare combinations after the fare revision. Out of these, around 600-odd slabs have seen rates increase by 80-100%. The BMRCL is evaluating how to rationalize some of these fare slabs, which may lead to a decrease in fares by 15-35%.

Around 46% of commuters, or nearly 2,91,418 passengers, are expected to benefit from the revised fare structure. The BMRCL has assured that the revised fare slabs will not dilute the integrity and spirit of the FFC as per the Metro Railway (Operations & Maintenance) Act.

Detailed revised fare slabs will be notified soon, according to the BMRCL.

Approximate Bengaluru Metro Revised Fare Chart After 30% Cut (Effective from Feb 14)