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₹150 crore error in Bengaluru Metro fare hike? Tejasvi Surya accuses BMRCL of miscalculation
Tejasvi Surya urged for immediate corrections and transparency in fare determination, highlighting that fares in other cities are significantly lower.
Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya has raised serious concerns over the recent Bengaluru Metro fare hike, alleging a major calculation error by the Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) that has led to commuters being overcharged by nearly ₹150 crore since the fare revision.
During a review meeting held on Tuesday, Surya said the BMRCL made a crucial mistake in determining the base year for maintenance and administrative (M&A) costs, which forms the foundation of the Fare Fixation Committee’s (FFC) report.
According to the MP, BMRCL wrongly used data from 2016–17 instead of 2017–18 to compute M&A costs while proposing the fare hike, leading to inflated fare slabs. “This incorrect computation has resulted in an unjustified increase in fares,” he stated.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Surya compared Namma Metro fares with those of other major Indian cities:
In Bengaluru, a 20–25 km ride costs ₹80, while in Delhi, a 32 km ride costs ₹64.
In Mumbai, a 12–18 km journey costs ₹30, whereas in Bengaluru, a 10–15 km ride costs ₹60, double the price.
The highest fare in Mumbai is ₹70, while Bengaluru Metro charges ₹90 for trips beyond 25 km.
Overall, metro fares in Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, and Nagpur are 25–50% lower than Bengaluru’s.
Surya argued that despite the average fare increase being pegged at 51.5%, the most common travel slabs (8–15 km) have witnessed hikes of nearly 70%, disproportionately burdening regular commuters.
The MP urged BMRCL to rectify the fare anomalies immediately and to ensure commuters are not unfairly charged due to flawed calculations. He also demanded a detailed clarification from the corporation on how the error occurred and what corrective steps are being taken.
In response, BMRCL officials reportedly assured Surya that a formal explanation on the issue will be shared soon.
Emphasizing the importance of affordable public transport, Surya said, “Public transport must remain affordable, transparent, and accountable. Such lapses erode public confidence in vital urban mobility systems like Namma Metro.”
(With PTI inputs)
Also Read: Namma Metro Pink Line in Bengaluru: Will 13.76-km stretch be operational in May 2026? Here’s what we know)
