Delhi Metro proposes five-slab fare system to meet operational costs

Proposals, if accepted, would replace existing 15 fare slabs ranging from Rs 8 to Rs 30

Faced with rising operational costs, Delhi Metro has proposed a five-slab fare system in the range of Rs 10-50 to mitigate the "adverse" impact on its financial health.

The proposals, if accepted, would replace the existing 15 fare slabs ranging from Rs 8 to Rs 30. The new fares would be Rs 10, Rs 20, Rs 30, Rs 40 and Rs 50, a Metro official privy to the developments said.

Delhi Metro Rail Corporation Chief Mangu Singh has repeatedly written to the Ministry of Urban Development since 2012 in this regard, which has administrative control over the body.

Earlier this year, Retired Justice AK Shrivastava was named as the head of the fare fixation committee, but it was scrapped later.

Delhi Metro can revise its fares only on recommendation of the three-member committee constituted by the Union government from time to time.

Apart from a person who is or has been a high court judge, the committee comprises of the urban development secretary and Delhi's finance secretary.

A Metro official said the fare revision has been "proposed sometime ago but no action has been taken till now. The round figures would also help us tackle the shortage of coins which is rising by the day."

Fares were last revised in 2009 when the minimum fare was raised from Rs 6 to Rs 8 with the maximum fare being raised to Rs 30 from Rs 22.

Officials say, since then there has been more than 94 per cent rise in power tariff.

DMRC director (operations) Sharat Sharma had also stated that almost 40 per cent of Metro's overall expenses go towards paying electricity bills.