Bengaluru Metro fare hike sparks political blame game between the ruling Congress and BJP

Commuters in Bengaluru are upset over the Namma Metro's fare hike of 40% to 90%, leading to political tensions between Congress and BJP.

Following the announcement of a fare hike by Bengaluru's Namma Metro, with increases ranging between 40% and 90% depending on the route, commuters have voiced their frustration over the rising cost of public transport in the city. The move has triggered a political slugfest between the ruling Congress and the opposition BJP, both blaming each other for the hike.

Bengaluru metro commuters saw 40-90% hike in ticket prices after the recent revision.

BJP and Congress blame each other

While BJP leaders criticized the Congress-led Karnataka government for burdening citizens with higher fares, the Congress hit back, accusing BJP leaders of failing to ensure proper tax devolution to the state.

BJP MP from Bengaluru South, Tejasvi Surya, warned that the fare hike could lead to more congestion on the city's already jam-packed roads, as commuters might opt for private vehicles over an expensive metro ride. Expressing concern, he stated, "Karnataka Govt, instead of incentivising public transport and discouraging private vehicles, is doing the exact opposite with the Metro Fare Hike. Bengaluru metro fares should be at par with other metros in the country. While commuters in Delhi pay ₹30 for a 12 km ride, Bengaluru will have to pay ₹60 - Double the amount. A 50% hike, with max fare going from ₹60 to ₹90 is totally unjustified."

He urged the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) to reconsider the fare revision and look for alternative revenue streams. "I request @OfficialBMRCL, to re-look at fare revision, raise the non-fare revenue via ads, leasing of spaces for commercial use by studying the best practices across the metros. This is the only way to put Bengaluru fare chart on par with other metros in the country and not pressurise people for extra revenue," he added.

Meanwhile, Karnataka IT Minister Priyank Kharge lashed out at BJP MPs, accusing them of treating Karnataka as a mere revenue source for the central government. "The opinion of @BJP4Karnataka MPs doesn’t matter to #ModiSarkar. Karnataka is a ‘Kamadhenu’ for the Central Government, we only exist solely to funnel taxes to the BJP Government, which are then redistributed to states like Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and other BJP States. Waiting for the Opposition leaders to go to the Metro stations tomorrow and apologize to the people by giving roses to them, like they did earlier," Kharge remarked.

Amid the political war of words, Bengaluru commuters are feeling the financial pinch. Many regular metro users are now considering switching to their personal vehicles as an alternative, citing cost-effectiveness compared to the revised metro fares.

BMRCL, however, has defended the hike, stating that the minimum fare for short distances of up to 2 km remains unchanged at ₹10. For longer routes exceeding 25 km, the maximum fare has now been set at ₹90. The corporation explained that the fare revision was implemented based on recommendations from the Fare Fixation Committee.