Bengaluru: Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya on Wednesday flagged the steep hike in metro fares in Namma Metro in Parliament and slammed the Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) for not publishing the Fare Fixation Committee Report.
Speaking during Zero Hour in the Lok Sabha, Surya said: “About 4 months ago (in February), the BMRCL hiked the metro fare by almost 130%. Public transport services must be affordable to the common man. This hike has resulted in steep reduction in the ridership as well.
“Despite multiple requests over the last few months, the BMRCL has not made the report public yet. This is a democracy and in a democracy, riders deserve to know the basis of the fare hike. I urge you (Speaker, through the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs) to kindly instruct BMRCL to immediately publish the FFC report.”
Bengaluru metro fares are the highest in the country with rides above 25 km priced at Rs 90. Following public outcry, the BMRCL rationalised the fare structure to up to a 71% hike but the fares are still hampering metro ridership.
In his Zero Hour intervention, Surya also called for the early operationalisation of the Yellow Line of the Metro. He said: “Bengaluru is India’s economic engine. It is one of the most important cities today and for the next 20 years. The city is suffering from a big infrastructure deficit and the only way that traffic congestion in the city can be addressed is through expedited metro expansion and advancing public transport systems.
“I want to request the MoHUA to expedite the opening of the already-delayed Yellow Line ops. This connects the residential part of Bengaluru to Electronic City and once opened, ridership of more than 8 lakh is expected.”
The Yellow Line of Namma Metro spans 19 km from RV Road to Bommasandra with 16 stations, connecting Bengaluru South’s ITBT and industrial corridors. Initially slated for completion in 2021, it is delayed by over 4 years due to lack of rolling stock for the metro coaches. The Yellow Line is close to receiving the CMRS Safety approval after which it can be operationalised.
Once operational, the Yellow Line will decongest Bengaluru roads, which currently see over 1.2 crore vehicles daily. It will also save commuting time for lakhs of commuters traveling to IT hubs and industrial zones.
Surya also urged the MoHUA to expedite the approval for the Red Line of the Metro. The Red Line or Phase 3A of Namma Metro is a 36.59 km corridor which will link Sarjapur in the southeast to Hebbal in the north, further enhancing connectivity in the city. It is pending Union Cabinet approval.
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