Post the price hike by Bengaluru Metro, ridership has fallen by nearly 16 per cent from January to February, per BMRCL data accessed by businessline.
The price increase initially saw fares rise by as much as 100 per cent, prompting BMRCL to cap the hike at 70 per cent after commuter backlash. Despite this adjustment, ridership figures indicate a sharp decline. On March 8 (Saturday), passengers using metro stood at 6.68 lakh, compared to 6.7 lakh on February 22 (Saturday), whereas on February 8 (Saturday), it was 8.07 lakh.
Businessline had earlier reported that commuters are exploring alternative transport options as rising fares are making public transport less affordable.
Commuters spend almost as much on transport as on food
A recent Greenpeace report noted that people in the city spend 73.5 per cent of their daily expenses on commuting, nearly matching the 72.9 per cent spent on food. The report estimates that daily travel costs exceed ₹50 for most commuters.
The survey, which polled 505 respondents, found that 68 per cent of commuters observed a fare increase, while 13 per cent have switched to alternative modes of transport due to rising costs. A majority of respondents spend between ₹50 and ₹150 on their daily commute, which translates to approximately ₹1,100-₹3,300 per month, considering 22 working days in a month, excluding weekends.
Among them, 33 per cent spend between ₹50 and ₹100 per day, 22.8 per cent spend ₹100 to ₹150, and 17.6 per cent spend more than ₹150.
The report also highlights that 75.4 per cent of respondents have reduced non-essential travel due to higher transportation expenses.
Background
The fare prices was implemented on Febraury 9, increasing the maximum fare from ₹60 to ₹90. The Fare Fixation Committee had submitted a report recommending this revised fare structure. The fare revision was attributed to rising operational costs, including staff costs, which comprise 61 per cent of the cost and have increased by 42 per cent since 2017, owing to inflation and wage revisions.