Brace for costlier Delhi metro ride tomorrow; fares to rise by up to Rs 10

Don't want Delhi Metro fare hike? Pay Rs 3,000 cr a yr: Modi govt to Kejriwal

Your metro ride is set to get dearer from tomorrow as the DMRC is adamant to implement the second phase of fare hike from October 10. The Metro fares were last revised in May when the minimum tariff was raised from Rs 8 to Rs 10 and the maximum fare from Rs 30 to Rs 50.

The fare hike would be felt by commuters on Tuesday.
 

Since its last fare revision in May, DMRC has seen a dip in footfall, with June witnessing a fall of almost 1.5 lakh passengers per day compared to June 2016.

 

Hence, it is anticipated that the second phase of fare revision might lead a further dip in footfall.

 

When metro had started operations on December 25, 2002, the minimum fare was Rs 4 and maximum was Rs 8.

Revised Fare and distance

According to a report published in Times of India, the revised fare slabs from October 2017 may be: Rs 10 for the first 5 km, but subsequently increases by Rs 10 in each slab, going up to a maximum of Rs 50.

Why has DMRC hiked price

According to India.com, DMRC has cited increasing cost of electricity and maintenance works and salaries of staff as the reason behind the steep hike in fares.

According to officials, the recommendations made by the Fare Fixation Committee were repeatedly turned down by Metro board of directors, comprising officials from Delhi government, Union Urban Development Ministry, Union Railways Ministry and others.

What remains same

— No revision in its Airport Express fares

— Passengers using smart cards will still be given 10 per cent discount

— Additional 10 per cent discount will be given to passengers exiting metro premises using a metro card on weekdays (Monday to Saturday) during “off-peak” hours.

— Special discounted fare slab will also be given on Sundays and national holidays to urge people to use metro on non-working days

1st phase of fare hike

The revised fare slabs from May 2017 were: Rs 10 for 0-2km, Rs 15 for 2-5 km, Rs 20 for 5-12km, Rs 30 for 12-21km, Rs 40 for 21-32km, and Rs 50 for beyond 32km.

DMRC also announced different fare slabs for holidays. It will charge Rs 10 from 0-12km, Rs 20 for 12-21km, Rs 30 for 21-32km, and Rs 40 for beyond 32km on every Sunday and on national holidays.

Will pay half of funds if Centre pays 50%, says Kejriwal

Kejriwal's reaction came in response to Puri's suggestion to him to give over Rs 3,000 crore annually to Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) if he wants to hold the proposed Metro fare hike.

Puri had said to Kejriwal through his letter dated October 6 that the Metro Act did not allow the central government to put on hold the fare hike. He also noted that the alternative to fare hike was to provide DMRC yearly grants-in-aid for the next five years: Rs 3,040 crore, Rs 3,616 crore, Rs 3,318 crore, Rs 3,150 crore and Rs 2,980 crore respectively.

Puri was responding to a letter from Kejriwal on September 29 asking the central government to put the hike on hold.

The AAP government has opposed the fare hike proposed from October 10. It has locked horns with the Delhi Metro Rail Corp (DMRC) over the impending second hike this year, following the recommendation of the fourth FFC.

The DMRC defended its decision by saying its input costs had gone up over the years and the increase was at par with Metro rails in other cities.
 

"Since the central government bears 100 per cent of loss for Kolkata Metro, I see no difficulty if it bears 50 per cent in case of Delhi. Thereafter, an FFC (Fare Fixation Committee) can be constituted, as suggested by you."