- BMRCL approved a 5% metro fare hike pending Karnataka government approval
- The hike follows Fare Fixation Committee's annual adjustment guidelines
- Metro fares were last increased in February 2025, with max fare rising 71%
The Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) on Wednesday has approved a proposal to increase metro ticket fares, pending approval from the Karnataka government, according to NDTV sources.
The decision was made during a recent BMRCL board meeting, where members agreed to implement a 5% hike in accordance with the Fare Fixation Committee's recommendations issued last year. However, the revised fares will be introduced only after the state government grants formal clearance.
Officials said the proposed revision aligns with the committee's guidelines, which call for annual fare adjustments to account for rising operational costs and inflation.
Fares Increased Last Year
It may be recalled that metro fares were increased last year, following the committee's earlier recommendations. The committee had also suggested that such revisions be carried out every year.
In February 2025, the BMRCL introduced revised prices as per FCC recommendation. Following the fare revision, maximum prices have been increased from Rs 60 to Rs 90 on some routes which amount to an increase in 71%. The minimum balance required for smart cards has been increased from Rs 50 to Rs 90.
Under the revised fare system, the cost of Bengaluru Metro travel between 0-2 km is Rs 10, 2-4 km is Rs 20, 4-6 km is Rs 30, 6-8 km is Rs 40, 8-10 km is Rs 50, 10-12 km is Rs 60, 15-20 km is Rs 70, 20-25 km is Rs 80 and 25-30 km or more is Rs 90.
In line with these directives, BMRCL has now given its approval for the annual fare hike and is awaiting the state government's nod to implement it.
This has drawn flak from BJP earlier that had blamed the state government Bengaluru South BJP MP Tejasvi Surya alleging that Bengaluru metro travel now costs nearly twice as much as in Delhi, Mumbai, and Chennai, leading to a reduction in the number of metro users.
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