Bengaluru, February 5: Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) officially announced a 5% increase in fares on Thursday. The new rates will take effect from February 9.
BMRCL’s Public Relations Officer, B.L. Yashwant Chauhan, explained, “According to the fare determination committee, the fare is calculated annually based on a formula. The increase ranges from a minimum of 4% to a maximum of 5%. While a 10% increase was necessary, it could not be implemented, so only a 5% increase was approved as per the FFC guidelines.”
With the new rates, the minimum fare will rise from ₹10 to ₹11, while the maximum fare will increase from ₹90 to ₹95.
The statement noted, “The FFC found that after 7.5 years, changes in fares and the reduction of fare zones from 29 to 10 led to an average fare increase of 51.55%. To avoid sudden fare hikes in the future, the committee recommended an annual revision of fares based on a transparent automatic fare adjustment formula linked to operational and management costs or capped at 5% per year, rounded to the nearest rupee.”
Officials confirmed that the FFC’s recommendations are binding on BMRCL. The annual automatic fare adjustment will be implemented starting February 9, marking one year since the FFC’s suggested fare changes were adopted.
BMRCL indicated that across its 96.10-kilometer network, the fare increase will be modest, ranging from a minimum of ₹1 to a maximum of ₹5 across 10 fare zones.
Based on audited financial data for the fiscal year 2024-25, the formula-based index shows a cost increase of 10.20%. However, in line with FFC conditions, the fare increase is limited to 5%.
After the new rates are applied, the fare for a metro journey from zero to two kilometers will be ₹11 instead of ₹10, and for four kilometers, it will be ₹21.4, and so on. BMRCL stated that it will continue to offer all existing passenger-friendly discounts for smart card and NCMC users, such as a 5% discount during peak hours and a 10% discount on Sundays and during non-peak hours on three national highways. However, a 5% annual increase will apply to tourist cards and group tickets.
The statement concluded, “BMRCL’s focus is to ensure that this small annual adjustment maintains financial stability and service reliability, preventing the need for larger, sudden fare increases in the future. This approach allows fares to gradually rise in line with inflation and operating costs, protecting passengers from abrupt and frequent hikes.”
