Will BMRCL risk fare hike ahead of civic polls? Metro’s ‘automatic’ revision rekindles debate

Bengaluru: As Bengaluru heads towards elections to the five newly formed city corporations under the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA), a politically sensitive question is resurfacing: will Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) raise Namma Metro fares by another 5% this Feb?

The trigger is the Fare Fixation Committee (FFC) recommendations, under which BMRCL increased Metro fares on Feb 9 last year. Those same recommendations empower BMRCL to revise fares by 5% annually through an “automatic fare revision formula”, a mechanism that remains in force until a new FFC report is notified.