After nearly seven months of delay and repeated demands from the public, the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) has finally uploaded the Fare Fixation Committee (FFC) report on its website.
The long-awaited disclosure comes months after BMRCL implemented a controversial fare hike of up to 71% in February this year. At the time, the corporation claimed that the revision was based on the recommendations of the FFC. However, despite growing pressure from commuters, elected representatives, and multiple Right to Information (RTI) requests, the report itself was kept under wraps until now.
What the FFC actually recommended
According to the committee’s report, the FFC had proposed an increase of 51.55% spread across 7.5 years. This translated to an annualised increase of about 6.87%. The FFC suggested an automatic, formula-based revision every year that factored in staff costs (linked to the Consumer Price Index), energy charges, and maintenance expenses, with an upper ceiling of 5% per annum.
Using this method, the committee argued, fares would rise gradually and predictably rather than through sudden steep hikes. The recommendation stood in sharp contrast to BMRCL’s earlier proposal of a 105% jump in fares, which the committee rejected as unreasonable.
The FFC also proposed restructuring the fare system itself. Instead of the existing 29 slabs, the panel suggested a simplified framework with 10 rounded slabs in multiples of ₹10. Under this scheme, the minimum fare would remain ₹10 for trips up to 2 km, while the maximum fare would be capped at ₹90 for distances of 25 km and above.
In addition, the report recommended Sunday and national holiday discounts, along with yearly automatic adjustments. The committee emphasised the need to balance affordability for passengers while ensuring BMRCL’s long-term financial stability.
As part of its review, the FFC studied metro fare structures in Delhi, Chennai, Singapore, and Hong Kong. The committee observed that all these systems relied on transparent, formula-driven fare revisions and generated significant non-fare revenues through advertising, real estate development, and event tie-ups. Bengaluru’s metro, the report noted, must also move towards such practices to remain sustainable.
What commuters suggested
The FFC also documented public feedback. Around 1,126 responses were collected via email and WhatsApp. Of these, 27% of respondents said they were open to a “reasonable” fare hike, 51% opposed any increase, and the rest offered suggestions such as student and senior citizen concessions, monthly passes, and off-peak discounts.
While the panel rejected most suggestions citing technical or financial challenges, it did adopt a few. These included limited discounts for off-peak hours and concessional travel on Sundays.
The three-member committee comprised R. Tharani, former judge of the Madras High Court; Satyendra Pal Singh, Additional Secretary in the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs; and E.V. Ramana Reddy, retired IAS officer and former additional chief secretary to the Karnataka government. Their report was submitted months ago, but remained inaccessible to the public.
On February 12, The Hindu had even filed an RTI request with the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs seeking a copy of the report. The request was forwarded to the BMRCL managing director, but no response was received.
Political controversy
The FFC, a statutory body with quasi-judicial powers, is mandated to recommend metro fares across India. It evaluates operational costs, staff salaries, energy charges, and maintenance before arriving at its recommendations.
BMRCL’s fare hike announcement on February 9 triggered widespread outrage among commuters and quickly snowballed into a political controversy. In some stages, the increase was close to 100%, drawing criticism from both ruling and opposition parties.
Responding to the uproar, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah intervened on February 13 and directed BMRCL to revise the structure, terming the hikes “abnormal.” Following his instructions, the corporation rolled back the steepest increases and capped the maximum hike at 71%. The entry-level fare of ₹10 and the upper ceiling of ₹90 were left unchanged.
Published – September 12, 2025 02:22 pm IST
