Bengaluru: The fare hike announced by BMRCL on Saturday now makes a Namma Metro ride more expensive than travel on AC buses operated by BMTC.
To put things in perspective, while the Metro will now charge a flat fare of Rs 90 for any travel beyond 25km, an air-conditioned BMTC bus (Vajra service) charges Rs 65 for travel up to 50km.
Interestingly, BMRCL announced its revised fares just two days after deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar said the state govt won’t interfere with fare revisions.

Discount on smart cards
BMRCL said it will continue with the existing 5% discount on smart card fares.
In addition, there will be an extra 5% discount for smart card holders who choose to travel during non-peak hours, and a flat 10% discount for smart card holders who travel on Sundays and national holidays, regardless of time of travel.
However, smart card holders are required to maintain a minimum balance of Rs 90 in their card accounts. Close to 50% of Metro commuters use smart cards, BMRCL officials said. There won’t be any discount for passengers using QR code-enabled tickets, and they will be required to pay the same fares as regular token users.
Maheshwar Rao, BMRCL’s managing director, exuded confidence that the revision in tariff will help the Metro operator enhance its fleet and implement more improved safety standards over the next few years. “Assuming the same ridership, this fare hike should help us generate around 40% of additional revenue, though depreciation, investments, and repayment obligations will also increase,” he said.