BJP MP Tejasvi Surya welcomes Karnataka CM's order on Bengaluru Metro fare hike

Although BMRCL announced no rollback, some fare adjustments are planned. The fare hike sparked a r, as fares reportedly doubled in a few routes.

Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya on Thursday welcomed Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s decision to instruct the Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) to address concerns over the recent metro fare hike. Surya claimed the chief minister took this step only after facing "severe backlash" from the public.

BJP MP Tejasvi Surya earlier slammed Karnataka govt for the metro fare hike. (PTI)

"I welcome CM Siddaramaiah’s new stance… He could have acted sooner, but better late than never," Surya told ANI. He further criticized the Congress government, stating, “On one hand, BJP leaders are credited for Metro Rail’s achievements under the Central government, but on the other, they blame the state government for fare revisions. This is nothing but self-deception.”

BMRCL, the governing body for Bengaluru’s metro network, operates as a joint venture between the Central and Karnataka governments, each holding a 50% stake. Despite this partnership, BMRCL functions as an autonomous entity, meaning the Karnataka government does not have unilateral control over its operations. Like metro corporations across India, it operates under the Metro Railways (Operations and Maintenance) Act, 2002, a law enacted by the Central government.

Amid mounting criticism and pressure over the fare increase, Surya lauded Bengaluru residents for raising their voices against the hike. "The state government has made the right decision in responding to public concerns. I congratulate the people of Bengaluru for demanding fair metro pricing," he said.

Earlier in the day, CM Siddaramaiah acknowledged that the recent metro fare revision had created inconsistencies, with ticket prices more than doubling in certain sections.

"The way BMRCL implemented the Bengaluru Metro fare hike has resulted in several anomalies," the chief minister stated in a post on X. “I have directed the Managing Director of BMRCL to urgently review these discrepancies and lower fares where the increases are unreasonable.”

No roll back but minor changes to increased fare: BMRCL

However, the BMRCL on Thursday clarified that there will be no rollback on the fare hike but a there would be some changes on fares in a few routes. Though the BMRCL claimed that the fare hike is between 40% to 70%, the price has been doubled in a few routes. For an instance, the fare between Baiyappanahalli and MG Road was ₹20 earlier and now it stands at ₹40, which is 100% more than the previous hike.

As Bengaluru’s metro network continues to expand, the debate over fare regulation and governance remains a key issue, with both political parties engaged in a war of words over who bears responsibility for the recent hike.