Delhi Metro fare hike: This is how you can still travel cheap

Earlier, only passengers who exited from the Metro system in non-peak hours were eligible for a 10% extra discount, apart from the 10% discount they already got for using smart cards.

The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has decided that people who enter stations during non-peak hours will be eligible for a 20% discount even if they exit during peak hours.

People queue up ticket counter at Huda City Center Metro Station in Gurgaon. The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has decided that people who enter stations during non-peak hours will be eligible for a 20% discount even if they exit during peak hours. (Sanjeev Verma/HT Photo)

The move, Metro rail officials said, was aimed at helping a larger group of people benefit from the 20% discount.

Earlier, only passengers who exited from the Metro system in non-peak hours were eligible for a 10% extra discount, apart from the 10% discount they already got for using smart cards.

According to Metro rules, there are three non-peak hours — start of revenue service to 8am, from noon to 5pm and from 9pm to close of revenue service.

According to DMRC’s latest rule, a passenger who enters the system during any of the above non-peak hours slot will be eligible for a discount, irrespective of when they exits it.

Any passenger, however, entering and exiting the system during peak hour will not be eligible for the 10% discount. Similarly, any passenger entering the system during peak hours and exiting during non-peak ones will also not be eligible for a discount.

“DMRC has now defined peak hour as the time when a passenger enters the system, meaning a majority of students and office goers, who are smart card holders, can avail the 20% discount, The discount will be applicable if students and office-goers enter the system during the non-peak hours and exit it during the peak ones too,” said a DMRC spokesperson.

DMRC said that smart card users normally are eligible for a 10% discount on every journey. They will be eligible for an additional 10% discount after the implementation of revised fares.

“A window of almost 11 hours is deemed as non-peak by DMRC. It means that by using smart cards, all categories of passengers can benefit significantly if the journey is planned judiciously. The move will also encourage senior citizens and other non-time bound passengers to make the most use the Metro during non peak hours,” the spokesperson added.