Students say fare hike eats into pocket money

THE DELHI METRO RAIL CORPORATION INCREASED THE FARE AS PER RECOMMENDATIONS MADE BY A THREEMEMBER FARE FIXATION COMMITTEE OF CENTRAL GOVERNMENT

Students in the national capital have been hit hard by the Metro fare hike.

The hike has affected students, who depend on pocketmoney for daily expenses.

“As a student, the hike has made a major change in my expenses. I now have to shell out almost ₹20 extra one way. I have to manage food and travelling on a fixed budget. So if per ride the cost goes up, it is bound to have an effect on our pockets,” Sumit, a 24-year-old student, said.

Sumit is not alone. Anjali and Tarun, 20-year-old students of Kirori Mal College (KMC), said they were in for a rude shock on Wednesday morning. Instead of their daily cost of ₹19, ₹27 was deducted from their smart cards.

Two days after the hiked fare of Delhi Metro came into effect, Anjali is wondering how her parents would react to the news.

The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation increased the fare as per recommendations made by a threemember Fare fixation Committee, set up by the Central government.

A 27-year-old civil engineering graduate, who earns a living by coaching students in Mukher- jee Nagar, said: “A ride that used to cost ₹28 earlier, suddenly costs ₹50. This will eat into the daily pocket money of students.”

When asked if the hike has de-motivated him from using the Metro, he said, “I will now avoid using the Metro. If auto is going to cost me the same amount of money, why not use it.”

The salaried and irregular users of the Metro, however, are ready to pay a little extra for an air-conditioned ride to avoid the scorching Delhi heat.

Surinder Kaur, a 52-year-old employee of the Ministry of Statistics at Sardar Patel Bhawan, said: “Looking at the facilities provided when roads are jammed with vehicles, the difference isn’t much.”

30-year-old Chhotu Yadav, who is a driver, said the hike doesn’t impact him much as he barely uses the service.

I have to manage food and travelling on a fixed budget. So if the per ride the cost goes up, it is bound to have an impact on our pockets and monthly savings. The Metro is a way out for most residents when the roads are clogged with traffic outside. The fares has also gone up after almost 78 years.