The Metro rail ride in Bengaluru will be costlier by about 50 per cent as the Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) on Saturday effected a hike on the recommendation of the Fare Fixation Committee, which will come into force from Sunday onwards. It has also introduced separate tariffs for peak and non-peak hours just like the hail taxi riders - Ola and Uber.The maximum fare has been enhanced from Rs 60 to Rs 90 and the minimum balance has been increased from Rs 50 to Rs 90.The fare for a travel between 0-2 kilometres will be Rs 10, 2 km to 4 km - Rs 20, 4 km to 6 km - Rs 30, 6 km to 8 km - Rs 40, 8 km to 10 km - Rs 50, 10 km to 12 km - Rs 60, 15 km to 20 km - Rs 70, 20 km to 25 km - Rs 80, 25 km to 30 km and above would be Rs 90."The Fare Fixation Committee submitted its report recommending the revised fare structure on December 16, 2024. As per section 37 of the Metro Railway O&M Act, the recommendations made by the Fare Fixation Committee shall be binding on the Metro Railway Administration," BMRCL said.Accordingly, with the due approval of BMRCL Board, the revised fare structure will come into effect from February 9, 2025.Regarding the peak hour tariff system, the BMRCL said it will offer an additional five per cent discount on Smart cards at the rate of five per cent during peak hour along with five per cent off peak hour, which will be an effective 10 per cent for travel during off-peak hour based on the time of entry into the Metro system.The non peak hours will resume from the time the Metro services start in the day up to 8 am, again from noon to 4 pm and 9 pm to closing hours on week days.The Metro Rail authorities also said that there will be a discount offer on smart cards at the rate of 10 per cent on all Sundays and national holidays.The hike comes close on the heels of 15 per cent hike in government bus fare in Karnataka.Last month, Bengaluru Central MP, P C Mohan had posted on 'X' that the proposed hike in metro fare has been put on hold."BMRCL’s proposed 45% metro fare hike, set for Feb 1, has been put on hold. The Modi government has directed BMRCL to submit a comprehensive report before making any decision. A big win for the people of Bengaluru—ensuring transparency, accountability, and fair metro pricing," he said on 'X'.
