Metro Fare Row
Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya has strongly criticized the Karnataka government over what he termed as the “steep and unjustified” hike in Namma Metro fares, arguing that Bengaluru commuters now pay the highest metro fares in the country.
Addressing the media and sharing fare charts on his official X account, Surya pointed out that while the Delhi Metro recently raised fares by only ₹1 to ₹4, Bengaluru commuters have seen hikes as steep as ₹30 on certain routes. He said this represents a 136 percent increase, adding that lakhs of garment workers, IT employees, and daily wage earners who depend on the metro are bearing an unfair burden. “For a simple commute from Vijayanagar to Whitefield, passengers pay ₹90 one way and ₹180 for a round trip. Add cab or auto charges, and a person easily spends ₹400 to ₹500 per day. This is nothing short of extortion,” Surya said.
He also informed that he has filed a petition in the Karnataka High Court challenging the fare hike. The court is scheduled to hear the matter on September 22. Surya demanded that the government disclose the Fare Fixation Committee (FFC) report, which has so far not been made public by the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL). Surya urged the state government to reconsider its decision in the interest of the common people, warning that the burden of rising transport costs could discourage public transport usage and worsen Bengaluru’s traffic crisis.
