Tejasvi Surya slams metro’s “Unscientific” fare hike, seeks rollback before February revision

With Namma Metro set for another fare hike this February, Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya has criticised BMRCL’s “unscientific” pricing model and demanded an immediate revision.

Bengaluru’s Namma Metro is once again in the spotlight as Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya has strongly objected to the annual 5% fare hike proposed by the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL), calling the increase “unscientific and unjustified.”

Surya, who met metro officials earlier this week, said the fare revision implemented in February 2025 has already placed a heavy financial burden on commuters. He noted that while the Metro Fare Fixation Committee had approved only a 51.55% hike, BMRCL went ahead with a 71.5% increase, far above the recommended rate.

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Recalling recent fare changes, Surya said, “On February 9, 2025, fares were raised by 105%, and only after strong public opposition were they reduced to 71.5% on February 13. Even then, commuters were not given a fair deal.”

He pointed out major discrepancies in BMRCL’s calculations, particularly the use of 2016–17 as the base year for fare computation instead of 2017–18, which, he claimed, artificially inflated ticket prices. “When the cost of electricity per unit has actually decreased from ₹6 to ₹5.25, how can the fares go up by over 70%?” Surya questioned.

Adding to commuters’ concerns, BMRCL has decided to implement an automatic 5% fare escalation every February, meaning ticket prices will continue to rise yearly regardless of cost trends. Surya argued this will place an “unnecessary financial burden on daily passengers”, especially those relying on metro for short commutes.

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The MP has given BMRCL one week to respond with detailed justifications for the fare structure. The BJP delegation will decide on further action based on the corporation’s reply, he said.