Bengaluru South Member of Parliament, Tejasvi Surya, has called for the immediate public release of the Fare Fixation Committee (FFC) report concerning the recent metro fare hike.
In a letter addressed to the Managing Director of Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL), Maheshwar Rao, Surya highlighted the committee’s submission of its recommendations on December 16, 2024. Despite this, the report has not been made accessible to the public, raising concerns about transparency in the fare revision process.​ The fare hike, implemented on February 9, 2025, has drawn significant public attention. Under the new structure, fares range from ₹10 for 0-2 km to ₹90 for distances exceeding 25 km. This increase has made Bengaluru’s metro system the most expensive in the country, prompting widespread criticism from commuters and political leaders alike.​
Surya emphasized that the lack of public access to the FFC report undermines accountability and public trust. He pointed out that similar fare fixation reports from other metro systems, such as those in Delhi and Mumbai, are readily available to the public, ensuring transparency and fostering confidence among commuters.​ The FFC, chaired by retired Madras High Court judge Justice R. Tharani, was constituted in September 2024 to recommend a revised fare structure for Namma Metro. The committee’s recommendations are binding under the Metro Railway (Operation and Maintenance) Act, 2002, and were approved by the BMRCL Board before the fare hike was enforced. However, the absence of the report in the public domain has led to calls for a more transparent approach to fare revisions.​
In response to the fare hike, Surya has urged the Karnataka state government to engage with the Centre to review the fare structure, suggesting that the current rates may be unsustainable for the middle and lower-income groups who rely on the metro for daily commuting. He also criticized the committee’s approach, suggesting that a more localized understanding of Bengaluru’s socio-economic landscape would have resulted in a more equitable fare structure.​ The debate over the fare hike continues to unfold, with ongoing discussions about balancing the financial sustainability of the metro system with the affordability for its users. As the situation develops, the call for greater transparency and public involvement in fare fixation processes remains a central issue in the discourse surrounding Bengaluru’s public transportation policies.
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