Bengaluru, February 8: Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya on Sunday interacted with metro commuters at RV Road Metro Station, protesting the proposed annual fare revision by the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (BMRCL). Wearing a t-shirt that read “Mr CM, Cut the Drama” and #FareHikeBeda, Surya sought to highlight what he termed as the State Government’s role in triggering the fare hike.
Countering the Congress government’s claim that it did not seek a revision in metro fares, Surya displayed excerpts from the Fare Fixation Committee (FFC) Report printed on his t-shirt. The extract stated that officials from the Finance and Urban Development Departments of the Government of Karnataka had flagged the immediate need for an upward revision of fares to reduce the State’s financial burden.
The report further noted that State officials had advocated for an annual automatic fare revision formula, and that the Urban Development Department had repeatedly communicated with BMRCL to expedite the constitution of the Fare Fixation Committee.
During his interaction, commuters expressed concerns over the proposed 5% fare increase, which was scheduled to take effect from Monday. Surya said the revision would impose a daily burden of up to ₹250 on regular commuters and demanded that the State Government reconstitute the FFC.
Blaming the fare hike on financial mismanagement, Surya referred to Chapter 3 of the FFC Report, which highlighted the State Government’s weakening fiscal position. The report stated that the Karnataka government may no longer be able to continue providing Shadow Cash Support (SCS) to BMRCL—earlier used to cover operational losses and assist loan repayments—thereby directly pushing the burden onto commuters.
Surya said the withdrawal of this financial cushion had resulted in steep fare hikes and automatic annual increases, making Bengaluru Metro one of the costliest in the country.
He also informed commuters that the Union Government had communicated to BMRCL to temporarily withhold the fare revision until anomalies in the FFC report were addressed. According to Surya, Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs Manohar Lal Khattar has directed officials to pause the proposed hike and examine the reported discrepancies.
The MP further alleged that the FFC report was released by the State Government only after intervention by the Karnataka High Court, following a petition filed by him and sustained public pressure over several months.
Warning of political consequences, Surya said that if commuters’ concerns were ignored, the people of Bengaluru would respond appropriately in the upcoming Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) elections.
On Saturday, Surya also stated that the Centre’s decision to temporarily halt the fare hike reflects its commitment to commuter welfare, asserting that an additional increase would have placed public transport beyond the reach of many Bengalureans.
Also Read: No Fare Hike from Feb 9: BMRCL Puts Revision on Hold
ಇದನ್ನೂ ಓದಿ: ‘Mr CM, Cut the Drama’: ‘ದಿನಕ್ಕೆ ₹250 ಹೊರೆ’: ಮೆಟ್ರೋ ದರ ಏರಿಕೆ ವಿರುದ್ಧ ತೇಜಸ್ವಿ ಸೂರ್ಯ ಎಚ್ಚರಿಕೆ
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