In a move that has brought immediate relief to daily commuters, the much‑discussed 5% fare hike on Bengaluru’s Namma Metro has been put on hold, even though it was originally scheduled to take effect from February 9, 2026. The Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) has confirmed that its earlier announcement of the automatic fare revision has been kept “in abeyance till further orders”, citing directions from higher authorities and public dissatisfaction with increasing ticket prices.
What the proposed 5% hike looked like
Under the initially planned revision, fares across all 10 distance‑based zones were set to go up by about 5%, translating into a Re 1‑to‑₹5 increase on existing fares. For example, the minimum fare would have risen from ₹10 to ₹11 and the maximum fare from ₹90 to ₹95, keeping Bengaluru’s Metro system already among the most expensive in the country. The same 5% slab increase was also proposed for tourist and group‑tickets, further raising concerns about affordability for occasional and recreational users.
The hike was justified by BMRCL as a legally prescribed annual revision, based on a formula recommended by the Fare Fixation Committee (FFC), which had suggested an up‑to‑5% fare revision every year to keep pace with inflation and operational costs such as power, wages, and rolling‑stock maintenance. However, many commuters questioned why the automatic‑hike mechanism was in force in Bengaluru while other metros with larger networks have more flexible or politically supervised fare‑review processes.
Why the government paused the hike
The decision to pause the fare increase came amid growing public anger and political pressure, especially after Bengaluru’s Metro fares had already jumped sharply in February 2025, in some cases by over 70%, making “Namma Metro” the costliest Metro service in India at the time. Data from 2025 shows a 7.5% erosion in average daily ridership compared with 2024 once those last‑year hikes took effect, feeding a fear that higher fares could push more people back to private vehicles and worsen congestion.
Karnataka government ministers and opposition leaders alike slammed the 2026 hike as “insensitive” in the face of economic hardship, capacity constraints on trains, and incomplete last‑mile connectivity. In response, the state government stepped in and ordered a fresh review, effectively putting the 5% revision on hold until the state’s internal calculations and checks—including benchmarking against Delhi‑Mumbai fares—are completed. BMRCL has now indicated that the final fare decision will be taken after its Board reviews the recommendations and public feedback.
Metro expansion still continues
While the fare‑hike saga dominates the headlines, BMRCL continues expanding Bengaluru’s metro network, with new lines under construction and advanced trial runs on corridors such as the Pink and Blue Lines. The corporation argues that sustainable operation and fresh project funding depend on stable revenue, including periodic fare updates, but commuters are demanding better services, more frequency, and stronger integration with buses and autorickshaws in return for any price increases.
For now, the most important takeaway for commuters is clear: existing fares remain unchanged, and residents of Bengaluru can travel on Namma Metro without a 5% hike for the immediate future. The coming weeks will decide whether Bengaluru moves toward a more flexible, commuter‑centric fare approach—or whether the automatic‑hike mechanism returns in a modified form.
