Operating and maintenance costs, Consumer Price Index among parameters to recalculate metro fare

Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, who is also the Bengaluru Development Minister, who met with metro officials on Monday, said the State government and officials had jointly decided to pause the hike for a reassessment.

“Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd. (BMRCL) to considers multiple parameters such as operating and maintenance costs, changes in the Consumer Price Index, staff expenses, per-unit costs and energy cost. Based on these factors, we have asked officials to reassess the fares. Until then, the hike will remain on hold,” he said.

He also highlighted structural differences between Bengaluru’s metro system and others. “Compared to many metro systems, our fares are said to be higher. In Delhi, security is handled by the Union government through the Central Industrial Security Force. Here, the State bears the entire security cost. We also pay GST, which some other metro systems do not,” he noted.

Emphasising the State’s financial support to BMRCL, Mr. Shivakumar said the government had paid ₹1,064.32 crore towards cash loss reimbursement and ₹4,002.23 crore to the Centre towards loan repayment. “In total, ₹5,066.55 crore has been paid,” he said.

Delhi metro formula

The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), though it received approval from its Fourth Fare Fixation Committee constituted in 2016, did not implement annual fare hikes for several years, enforcing only one revision in August 2025 after the committee’s recommendations came into effect.

Mr. Shivakumar alleged he had initially expected the issue to be discussed at a meeting in Delhi and had waited to see how the situation would unfold. “I was watching what orders would be issued and what kind of politics would be played. Unfortunately, politics overtook facts. That is why I remained silent. The proposed meeting in Delhi has now been postponed,” he said, adding that those calling the deferment a “temporary victory” should have raised the matter during the BMRCL board meeting held on Monday.

Responding to allegations that the State government had sought the fare hike, the Deputy Chief Minister maintained that the decision had been taken much earlier by an independent fare fixation committee. “This process has been misunderstood. If a fresh decision on fares is to be taken, a new fare fixation committee will have to be constituted. Until such a committee is formed, neither the Centre nor the State has the authority to make recommendations,” he said.

He also dismissed political credit-claiming over the deferment. “I do not believe those who wrote the letter are ignorant. Some local MPs may speak on this issue, but governance cannot run on political credit-claiming. No one can claim credit based on this letter,” he added.

Clarifying the timeline of the proposed hike, Mr. Shivakumar said the State government had not initiated it. “We were neither consulted nor approached regarding the fare revision. This decision was taken a year ago. On February 9, 2025, the fare revision committee ordered a 5% hike to be implemented from February 9, 2026. The fares were revised accordingly. Those raising objections today did not oppose it then,” he said, in an apparent reference to Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya, who has been leading protests against the hike.

CM says no state government role in fare fixation

Earlier on Monday, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had stated that metro fares are fixed by the Metro Chairperson appointed by the Union government and that the State government has no direct role in fare fixation.

Meanwhile, BJP MP Tejasvi Surya was detained and later released by police on February 9 near Jayanagar metro station in Bengaluru while attempting to stage another protest against the proposed fare hike. Home Minister G. Parameshwara said the detention was preventive, as police had asked the MP to hold the protest at Freedom Park instead, and he was released shortly thereafter.