Mohandas Pai, former Infosys CFO and a vocal opponent of the Karnataka government, has lashed out at the government and its ministers yet again. After posting a viral post on a drop in employment in Karnataka, this time, he has taken up the case of Bengaluru's Namma Metro.
Ridership Falls After Hike
The metro system was in the news last week when the government decided to raise the prices, leading to an increase in minimum and maximum fares.
This led to significant backlash, as the city is not known for its elite public transport system. In addition, this came at the back of rise in bus fares as well.
Mohandas Pai On Drop In Footfall
This hike appears to have affected ridership of the metro system in city.
Mohandas Pai reacted to this development, and said, "Our Minister @DKShivakumar must accept the blame for not intervening on behalf of commuters in this."
He further went to ask the deputy CM to intervene in the matter. Pai added, "Minister avare pl intervene, make hike reasonable for all slabs. You are our Minister for Bengaluru!"
Our Minister @DKShivakumar must accept the blame for not intervening on behalf of commuters in this. Minister avare pl intervene, make hike reasonable for all slabs. You are our Minister for Bengaluru! https://t.co/QltX8YQzv8
— Mohandas Pai (@TVMohandasPai) February 21, 2025
As according to the report that was shared by Pai, who, the ridership has dropped significantly over the past week and more, especially after the revision of the fares.
From around 7-8 lakh riders, the rider's ship slowly plummeted to half of the previous ridership, with total footfall dropping to 3.89 lakh on February 19, according to a Deccan Herald report.
The Fare Hike
Post the revision, the maximum fare has shot up from the previous Rs 60 to the new Rs 90. Here, it is to be noted, that the minimum fare will continue to remain at Rs 10.
In addition, the minimum balance required on smart cards has also been increased from Rs 50 to Rs 90.
The body running the metro system however made some tweaks to aid riders, which does not appear to have helped. BMRCL adjusted ticket rates by using stations as a benchmark.
Neither the walk nor the slabs could be changed by the BMRCL. Only the number of stations travelled, rather than miles, may be used to calculate fares. Since the fare hike, ridership decreased by 8–10 per cent.
Clarifying the facts on Bengaluru Metro fare hike.
— Siddaramaiah (@siddaramaiah) February 12, 2025
The fare revision was decided by a Union Government-appointed committee, and BMRCL is legally bound to implement it. The Karnataka Government had no role in this decision.
BJP must stop misleading the people and take… pic.twitter.com/aGu5L9w3sB
This led to back and forth between BJP and the ruling Congress, with both the parties passing the buck on each other.