Bengaluru Metro Ridership Drops 6% After Fare Hike

14 Feb 2025 CW Team

Bengaluru’s Namma Metro witnessed a 6% drop in ridership after implementing a fare hike, with the footfall standing at 828,149. This decline is sharper than the 1-2% fall anticipated by the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL).

Despite the drop, BMRCL expects to generate an additional $660,000 to $720,000 (Rs 55-60 lakh) per day from the fare revision. However, commuters have expressed dissatisfaction, calling the hike excessive and burdensome.

A look at previous ridership numbers highlights the decline:

January 6: 8,61,593

January 13: 7,84,539 (eve of Makara Sankranti)

January 20: 8,79,537

January 27: 9,09,756

February 3: 8,70,147

Metro Now Among the Most Expensive in India? BJP MP Tejasvi Surya raised concerns over the fare hike in Lok Sabha, criticizing the near doubling of fares at several stations. He argued that the price increase contradicts the metro’s goal of providing an affordable and sustainable transit system.

Under the new structure, the maximum fare has jumped from Rs 60 to ?90, while the minimum balance on smart cards has increased from Rs 50 to ?90. The revised ticket prices range from Rs 10 for up to 2 km to Rs 90 for distances beyond 25 km.

With Bengaluru’s metro being a key mode of transport for daily commuters, the coming weeks will determine whether ridership stabilizes or if the fare hike has a lasting impact.

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