Commuters, experts unhappy with revised Metro fares

Delhi Metro’s fare hike was long impending, but the steep increase in fares by one of the world’s largest Metro systems has not gone down too well with the commuters and transport experts. Metro fares in the capital have risen between 25 per cent and 67 per cent from Wednesday, the first hike since 2009. As per the revised fare slabs, people will have to pay `10 for up to 2 km, `15 for 2 to 5 km, `20 for 5 to 12 km, `30 for 12 to 21 km, `40 for 21 to 32 km and for journeys of over 32 km, `50.

Those carrying a smart card and travelling during the off-peak hours between 6 am and 8 am, 12 pm and 5 pm, and 9 pm onwards will be able to avail a discount of 20 per cent. On Sundays and national holidays (January 26, August 15 and October 2), there would be a discount of around `10 across slabs. The tariff would rise further from October 1, when the maximum will turn `60. The hikes were announced on May 8 after the DMRC board cleared the recommendations of a fare fixation committee.

“Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) should have had a video recorded public hearing before rolling out the new fare structure. The Metro services have reached a saturation point. Even during peak hours, the London tube doesn’t get as crowded as the Delhi Metro, which started its services barely 15 years ago,” S.P. Singh, senior fellow at Indian Foundation of Transport Research and Training (IFTRT), said.

“The Centre should rollback the fare hike as this will burn holes in people’s pockets. The government was to have a fleet of 10,000 buses. Where are the new buses? The public transport

The Centre should rollback the fare hike... The govt was to have a fleet of 10,000 buses. Where are the new buses? The public transport system is crumbling. Haroon Yusuf,

system is crumbling,” former Delhi transport minister Haroon Yusuf said. “DMRC spends around `84 on operations for every `100 it earns. It was around `54 in 2009, when the last hike was

— Haroon Yusuf. Ex-minister

The hike was pending for a long time. But instead of the sudden steep hike, the Delhi Metro should have revised its fare structure in a phased manner. Sudhakar

— Sudhakar Jha, Ghaziabad resident

effected,” Metro revenue director K.K Saberwal said.

“The hike was pending for a long time. But instead of the sudden steep hike, the DMRC should have revised its fare structure in a phased manner. This has put an additional burden on the commuters,” Sudhakar Jha, a Ghaziabad resident, said. “With a new fare hike in place, we expect Metro to increase its efficiency. Also, night services should be increased and drinking water be provided at all stations,” said Pooja Bansal, a Laxmi Nagar resident. “The last-mile connectivity should be improved as the majority of stations don’t have proper access to public transport. The Metro should periodically upgrade its technology to ensure frequent snags and breakdowns don’t take place,” Vivek Chaudhary, a Delhi University student, said.