<p>Bengaluru: The "abnormal" hike in <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/namma-metro">Namma Metro</a> fares, especially for distances between 6 and 25 km, may be due to "technical glitches", which remain undeciphered, <em>DH</em> has learnt. </p>.<p>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. </p>.<p>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. </p>.<p>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. </p>.'Why credit Centre for metro but blame State for fare hikes': CM Siddaramaiah calls out BJP's 'hypocrisy'.<p>Passengers are unlikely to get any relief immediately. The BMRCL said it was still looking into the issue. </p>.<p>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. </p>.<p>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. </p>.<p>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. </p>.<p>The fare hike seems to be affecting ridership. </p>.<p>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). </p>.<p>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. </p>.<p><strong>Monday ridership this year</strong></p>.<p><strong>Jan 6: </strong>8,61,593</p>.<p><strong>Jan 13:</strong> 7,84,539</p>.<p><strong>Jan 20:</strong> 8,79,537</p>.<p><strong>Jan 27:</strong> 9,09,756</p>.<p><strong>Feb 3: </strong>8,70,147</p>.<p><strong>Feb 10: </strong>8,28,149</p>
<p>Bengaluru: The "abnormal" hike in <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/namma-metro">Namma Metro</a> fares, especially for distances between 6 and 25 km, may be due to "technical glitches", which remain undeciphered, <em>DH</em> has learnt. </p>.<p>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. </p>.<p>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. </p>.<p>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. </p>.'Why credit Centre for metro but blame State for fare hikes': CM Siddaramaiah calls out BJP's 'hypocrisy'.<p>Passengers are unlikely to get any relief immediately. The BMRCL said it was still looking into the issue. </p>.<p>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. </p>.<p>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. </p>.<p>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. </p>.<p>The fare hike seems to be affecting ridership. </p>.<p>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). </p>.<p>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. </p>.<p><strong>Monday ridership this year</strong></p>.<p><strong>Jan 6: </strong>8,61,593</p>.<p><strong>Jan 13:</strong> 7,84,539</p>.<p><strong>Jan 20:</strong> 8,79,537</p>.<p><strong>Jan 27:</strong> 9,09,756</p>.<p><strong>Feb 3: </strong>8,70,147</p>.<p><strong>Feb 10: </strong>8,28,149</p>
