Bengaluru: BMRCL spent Rs 26 lakh on foreign tours before fare hike, reveals RTI

Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) spent nearly Rs 26 lakh on international tours to study fare models before implementing a significant fare hike, a recent Right to Information (RTI) reply has disclosed.

Also read: BMRCL achieves Green Milestone with IGBC Platinum ratings

The expenditure was split between two groups: Rs 12.97 lakh for the members of the Fare Fixation Committee (FFC) and Rs 12.88 lakh for BMRCL officials. These teams visited metro systems in Hong Kong and Singapore, aiming to understand global fare structures and pricing strategies.

The FFC, tasked with recommending fare revisions for Namma Metro, comprised senior officials including a retired judge, a central ministry representative, and a former top state bureaucrat. The committee also studied domestic systems, notably Delhi Metro and Chennai Metro, to compare methodologies.

The fare revision, which took effect recently, saw an increase of up to 71 percent. According to the RTI response, BMRCL initially proposed a 105.15 percent hike spread over 7.5 years since the last revision in 2017—equating to an annual rise of 14.02 percent. However, the FFC suggested, and BMRCL adopted, a lower hike of 51.55 percent, averaging 6.87 percent annually.

The revelations have sparked concerns over transparency and fiscal prudence as commuters adjust to higher travel costs.