‘Two-wheeler cheaper’: ‘Bangalore Metro fare hike prioritises bottom line over public interest

Shashank Manae, an engineer, travels by Bengaluru metro from Vijay Nagar to Swami Vivekananda Road, a distance of about 18 kilometres, for work. Manae used to pay Rs 35 per trip until earlier this month and now pays Rs 60 after the metro fares were increased. For him, the fare hike is not burning a hole in his pocket as of now. However, if it keeps increasing at this rate, he says, he will have to consider using his scooter for his daily commute.

The Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited, responsible for running the metro in Bengaluru, hiked its fares earlier this month, now making it the costliest metro service in India. Effective February 9, the maximum fare is increased from Rs 60 to Rs 90, marking an increase by 50% of the fare.

However, for Manae and many others the hike has led to their ticket prices increasing by more than 70%. Before this, the metro had revised the fare in 2017. The move has ignited widespread concern among commuters, civic activists and mobility experts alike. Apart from the hike, the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited has also increased the limit for the minimum required balance on the smart card from Rs 50 to Rs…

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