Eyes on Hyderabad Metro after Bengaluru Metro plans to increase fare

BMRCL officials stated that since the commencement of Metro operations, fares have not been revised. Due to rising operational costs, the need to maintain stations and trains, provide dedicated coaches for women, and offer special services for senior citizens and others, they emphasized that increasing Metro fares has become unavoidable.

Hyderabad: After the Congress government in Karnataka increased bus fares by 15 percent across all categories, the Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) is planning to increase the Metro fares by around 43 percent, citing rising operational costs.

The BMRCL officials claimed that since the Metro operations commenced, the fares were not revised. Considering the rising operational costs and the need to maintain stations and trains, offer dedicated coaches for women, provision of special services for senior citizens and others, the BMRCL stressed on the inevitability of increasing the Metro fares.

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The BMRCL proposed the increase in fares based on the recommendations of the fare fixation committee. However, the BMRCL decision has not gone down well with the commuters.

What does this mean to Hyderabad?

Like the Karnataka government, the Telangana government is also implementing the free bus travel scheme for women in the State. As it is, commuters are worried that the Telangana government could also increase the bus fares.

Further, with BMRCL proposing to increase the Metro fares, many are apprehensive that Hyderabad Metro Rail Limited (HMRL) may follow suit.

It may be recalled that HMRL Managing Director NVS Reddy had said that L&T, the concessionaire, was suffering huge losses to the tune of Rs.1,300 crore per annum and the losses accumulated to Rs.6,000 crore over the past few years.

Speaking at the Comptroller and Auditor General audit week programme in November last, the HMRL Managing Director had also said that the losses were incurred due to debt burden as it took loans from the banks at high interest.