Namma Metro fare hike put on hold after public backlash; BMRCL to review decision

After mounting public outrage and an intense political exchange between the ruling Congress and the BJP in the State, the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd. (BMRCL) has put on hold the implementation of the proposed annual fare revision for Namma Metro, which was scheduled to come into effect on February 9, 2026.

In a media release on Sunday, BMRCL said its earlier communication dated February 5, announcing the fare revision, had been kept in abeyance until further orders. “The decision on the revised fare will be communicated after the board’s review,” the release stated, without specifying a timeline.

The rollback follows widespread criticism from commuters and a political slugfest, with both the BJP and the Congress attempting to pin responsibility for the proposed hike on the other. The issue was politically sensitive, particularly in the backdrop of last year’s steep increase in metro fares that had sparked protests across the city.

Communication from Centre

Speaking to The Hindu, sources in BMRCL said that the decision to pause the revision was taken after a communication from the Union government.

“There has been a communication received from the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), hence we have decided to temporarily hold the fare hike. However, the BMRCL Board will review the matter,” the official said.

BMRCL had earlier announced a zone-wise fare revision under its Annual Automatic Fare Revision mechanism. The revised fare structure proposed a marginal increase of ₹1 to ₹5 across 10 fare zones, with fares recalibrated based on distance slabs across the Namma Metro network. While the increase was projected as modest, it triggered strong resistance from commuters, largely because it followed the controversial fare hike implemented in February last year.

On February 9, 2025, BMRCL had rolled out a sharp fare increase, with certain slabs witnessing hikes of over 100%. Following widespread protests and commuter anger, the corporation later attributed the anomaly to technical issues in fare calculation and capped the hike at 71% with effect from February 14, 2025, based on the Fare Fixation Committee (FFC) report.

BJP claims credit

Amid the latest controversy, BJP leaders claimed credit for the temporary suspension. Tejasvi Surya, MP for Bengaluru South, and R. Ashok, Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly, said on Saturday that the Union government had intervened to halt the hike.

On Sunday, Mr. Surya reiterated the claim in a post on X, stating: “As assured, BMRCL has put the proposed Metro fare hike on hold from tomorrow. A victory for the people of Bengaluru who have opposed this unjust increase for over a year.”

He added that the relief was temporary and urged the State government to restore operational subsidies and seek a new Fare Fixation Committee to ensure a fair, scientific, and transparent revision process.