Delhi Metro fare hike: DMCA calls for boycott, receives massive response

Delhi Assembly Speaker constitutes a 9 member committee to review the logic behind metro fare hike & review financial health of DMRC.

The Delhi Metro Commuters' Association (DMCA) on October 10 called for a boycott by distributing leaflets in 50 metro stations in the capital against the hike in the Delhi metro fare.

The campaign for the boycott of metro post the fare hike received huge response and active participation from metro commuters at important stations such as Azadpur, Shadipur, Jahangirpuri, GTB Nagar, Laxmi Nagar, Rajiv Chowk, Rajendra Place among others. Black bands were tied on the arms of Metro Commuters as a mark of protest against the "anti-people fare rise decision".

DMCA activists allegedly were detained by the metro authorities at Jahangirpuri and Shadipur metro stations and false charge of theft was leveled on them. Later, they were brought to Kashmere Gate Metro Police Station and were released after huge pressure from DMCA activists and common passengers.

The DMCA pointed out that this is the second time in the year that metro fare has been hiked and the previous fare hike itself costed a ridership loss of 2 lakh per day. In May, DMCA protested against the Urban Development ministry and DMRC for bringing in anti-people step to benefit the Japanese Bank.

The activists had also submitted a memorandum to the DMRC, demanding immediate fare-reduction and burnt an effigy of then Union Urban Development Minister, M. Venkaiah Naidu and accused the DMRC and its patron Urban Development ministry of working for Japanese Capital with utter disregard for common people of Delhi.

DMCA activists said that they believe that the hike in the fare would adversely affect Delhi's common people, who are already reeling under inflationary pressure. They also said that the argument of Urban Development Ministry and DMRC that the decision to raise metro prices has been taken very late despite incurring losses is utterly false, since already the fares were very high.

The DMCA said that this decision will cost the safety of women and would also affect the convenience of the laboring masses and common students for daily travel.

The protest drew active participation of common commuters and DMCA has decided to take its protest to Union Ministry of Urban Development tomorrow, where metro commuters too would be participating in huge numbers.

OneIndia News