Despite tweaking its fare hike to pacify commuters, Namma Metro continues to see a dip in daily ridership. Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) had revised its fares on February 9, triggering an immediate decline in footfall. Following public outrage, BMRCL admitted to technical glitches and said the increase would be capped at 71% from February 14. However, commuters say the fares remain steep and unaffordable.
On Monday, February 17, Metro ridership was at 7.8 lakh, down 40,000 from the previous Monday, February 10, when it stood at 8.2 lakh. The February 10 numbers were already 50,000 lower than the ridership on February 3, which recorded 8.7 lakh passengers. Several commuters pointed out that fares had doubled on some stretches, immediately impacting daily numbers. As ridership kept dropping post-February 9, BMRCL recalibrated fares on February 14, claiming the maximum hike was now 70%.
But even the rejig hasn’t reversed the trend. The drop in ridership is visible on weekends too. On Sunday, February 16, the Metro saw just 5.3 lakh commuters, a steep decline from February 9’s 6.2 lakh. While the fare adjustments have offered some relief to short-distance commuters, those traveling longer distances are still bearing the brunt. Many Metro users have turned to BMTC buses and private vehicles to offset the higher fares.
In January, Namma Metro saw a total ridership of 2.5 crore, averaging 8 lakh passengers per day. But after the fare hike, daily ridership has crossed the 8-lakh mark only once—on February 10, when it touched 8.2 lakh.
BMRCL has defended the fare revision, saying it was based on recommendations from the Fare Fixation Committee (FFC). The maximum fare for distances beyond 25 km jumped from Rs 60 to Rs 90, making Bengaluru’s Metro the costliest in the country. Following the backlash, fares were revised on February 14 for 48% of passengers (around 2.91 lakh commuters) who saw an "abnormal" increase. However, BMRCL has ruled out refunds for those who paid the higher fares between February 9 and 13.