Ridership on February 10 was 8,28,149, as against the average Monday figures of 8.8 lakh this year.
Credit: DH Photo
Bengaluru: The "abnormal" hike in Namma Metro fares, especially for distances between 6 and 25 km, may be due to "technical glitches", which remain undeciphered, DH has learnt.
On February 9, Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) increased its fares by an average of 51.55 per cent before discounts and by 45-46 per cent after discounts. This was the first fare hike since June 2017.
However, many passengers complained that fares on several routes had increased by up to 100 per cent. Regular travellers, especially students, have been hit hard.
For example, the fare for the 6.7-km MG Road-Baiyappanahalli ride is now Rs 40, up from Rs 20. Ideally, the fare shouldn't have been more than Rs 30. A similar scene has played out on many other routes.
Passengers are unlikely to get any relief immediately. The BMRCL said it was still looking into the issue.
Besides the steep fare hike, many passengers continue to complain about the minimum top-up requirement for smart cards, which has been increased from Rs 50 to Rs 90.
While a senior BMRCL official said that passengers must have the maximum fare in their smart cards so that they don't have to top up at the exiting station, a regular traveller questioned why the previous requirement was Rs 50 when the maximum fare was Rs 60.
The BMRCL official ruled out reducing the minimum balance. Similarly, the 5 per cent discount on QR code tickets will not be reinstated either, the official added.
The fare hike seems to be affecting ridership.
On Monday, the first weekday after the fare hike was introduced, overall ridership stood at 8,28,149. This was about 6 per cent lower than the 8.8 lakh footfall recorded on four Mondays this year (excluding January 13, the eve of Makara Sankranti).
The BMRCL, which estimates to earn an additional Rs 55-60 lakh per day after the fare hike, has expected a 1-2 per cent fall in ridership.
Monday ridership this year
Jan 6: 8,61,593
Jan 13: 7,84,539
Jan 20: 8,79,537
Jan 27: 9,09,756
Feb 3: 8,70,147
Feb 10: 8,28,149