<p>Metro commuters reacted with anger and frustration on the first weekday after the fare hike, with students being particularly hit hard. </p><p>Some chose not to travel by the metro, preferring personal vehicles, buses, autos and cabs instead. </p><p>Sreejith S Pai, a commuter from Whitefield, wrote on X that he took his car in protest against the "problematic" implementation of the fare hike. </p><p>He explained that the previous fare stages were Rs 10, 15, 18, 20, 23, 25, 30, 35, and so on. Now, they are Rs 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, etc. </p><p>"The fare structure should be based on actual distance, rather than grouping the distances into ranges like 0-2 km, 2-4 km, 4-6 km, etc," he said. </p>.Bengaluru metro fare hike 80% on some routes, QR ticket discount removal riles passengers.<p>Prakruthi S, a bachelor’s student, said she would switch to bus and auto because the fare from Sandal Soap Factory to Majestic had increased from Rs 22 to Rs 40. </p><p>"Some of my friends are already looking for alternative bus routes," she said. "I would rather take an auto and pay the same amount. Why would I need a metro if it's this expensive," she asked. </p><p>Meghana G, a student at Bangalore University, used to pay Rs 33 for her commute from Sampige Road to Jnanabharati, which has now shot up to Rs 60. </p><p>"I used to take the metro only in the morning because I cannot afford to be late for college, but in the evening, I can afford to get stuck in the traffic. But now, I'll be forced to start very early and stand in crowded buses to reach college on time," she said. "We are full-time students. How are we supposed to afford an education when commuting itself is so costly?" </p><p>Another student said the Yeshwantpur metro station was almost empty at 6 pm, the peak hour for students. </p><p>Apoorva CM, Bengaluru district president of AIDSO, said the metro fare hike would force students to waste valuable time on buses and other vehicles. </p><p>When asked about introducing concessional metro passes for students, a senior BMRCL official said the state government could introduce them if approved by the fare fixation committee. </p><p>"The state government can provide relief to students through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT)," he told DH. </p><p>Ridership seems to have been affected on Monday, recording only 6.27 lakh passengers until 9 pm. The BMRCL expects another 30,000 passengers until the closing hours. Metro's weekday ridership is about 8 lakh.</p>
<p>Metro commuters reacted with anger and frustration on the first weekday after the fare hike, with students being particularly hit hard. </p><p>Some chose not to travel by the metro, preferring personal vehicles, buses, autos and cabs instead. </p><p>Sreejith S Pai, a commuter from Whitefield, wrote on X that he took his car in protest against the "problematic" implementation of the fare hike. </p><p>He explained that the previous fare stages were Rs 10, 15, 18, 20, 23, 25, 30, 35, and so on. Now, they are Rs 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, etc. </p><p>"The fare structure should be based on actual distance, rather than grouping the distances into ranges like 0-2 km, 2-4 km, 4-6 km, etc," he said. </p>.Bengaluru metro fare hike 80% on some routes, QR ticket discount removal riles passengers.<p>Prakruthi S, a bachelor’s student, said she would switch to bus and auto because the fare from Sandal Soap Factory to Majestic had increased from Rs 22 to Rs 40. </p><p>"Some of my friends are already looking for alternative bus routes," she said. "I would rather take an auto and pay the same amount. Why would I need a metro if it's this expensive," she asked. </p><p>Meghana G, a student at Bangalore University, used to pay Rs 33 for her commute from Sampige Road to Jnanabharati, which has now shot up to Rs 60. </p><p>"I used to take the metro only in the morning because I cannot afford to be late for college, but in the evening, I can afford to get stuck in the traffic. But now, I'll be forced to start very early and stand in crowded buses to reach college on time," she said. "We are full-time students. How are we supposed to afford an education when commuting itself is so costly?" </p><p>Another student said the Yeshwantpur metro station was almost empty at 6 pm, the peak hour for students. </p><p>Apoorva CM, Bengaluru district president of AIDSO, said the metro fare hike would force students to waste valuable time on buses and other vehicles. </p><p>When asked about introducing concessional metro passes for students, a senior BMRCL official said the state government could introduce them if approved by the fare fixation committee. </p><p>"The state government can provide relief to students through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT)," he told DH. </p><p>Ridership seems to have been affected on Monday, recording only 6.27 lakh passengers until 9 pm. The BMRCL expects another 30,000 passengers until the closing hours. Metro's weekday ridership is about 8 lakh.</p>