Bengaluru: The Bengaluru Metro on Thursday announced an annual automatic fare revision for Namma Metro, effective from February 9. Under the revised structure, fares will increase by 4% to 10%, with a hike ranging from Re 1 to Rs 5 depending on the distance travelled.

The Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) said the revision is being carried out in line with the recommendations of the First Fare Fixation Committee (FFC) constituted under the Metro Railways (Operation & Maintenance) Act, 2002.

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The BMRCL, in a release, said the FFC, while recommending the revised fare structure, had observed that "revision of fare after 7.5 years and optimisation of fare zones from 29 to 10 has resulted in an average increase of 51.55 per cent."

To avoid such steep increases in the future, the committee recommended "to revise the fare annually by having a transparent Annual Automatic Fare Revision Formula linked with O&M cost or 5 per cent per annum, whichever is lower by rounding off to the nearest rupee."

It added that this mechanism helps with the introduction of a small annual fare revision.

"In keeping with the recommendations of the FFC, which is binding on BMRCL, it is hereby notified that an Annual Automatic Fare Revision will be implemented with effect from 9 February 2026," the corporation said.

Explaining the basis for the revision, BMRCL said, "Based on the Audited Financial Data for the financial year 2024-25 compared with base data of the financial year 2023-24, the formula-based index indicates a cost increase of 10.20 per cent, however, the fare revision has been restricted to only 5 per cent, in line with the FFC stipulation."

The corporation emphasised that commuter concessions would continue all existing commuter-friendly discounts for smart-card/NCMC users, including 5 per cent discount during peak hours, 10 per cent discount during non-peak hours, and 10 per cent discount on Sundays and on three designated National Holidays.

It added that the annual increase by 5 per cent shall also apply to Tourist Cards/Group Tickets.

Highlighting the rationale behind the decision, BMRCL said the annual revision is intended to ensure financial sustainability and service reliability, while avoiding the need for large and sudden fare increases in the future.

It further noted that the approach allows fares to move gradually in line with inflation and operating costs, thereby protecting commuters from sharp, infrequent hikes.

The BMRCL had drawn flak from various quarters last year when it effected a steep hike in fares. PTI

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