Bengaluru Metro's recent fare hike, which came into effect on February 9, has drawn criticism from commuters and opposition groups. Many have expressed concerns over the significant increase in fares, calling it one of the most expensive metro systems in India.

On February 10, a day after the fare increase, ridership dropped by 4%, with 8.29 lakh passengers compared to the usual 8.6 lakh on a normal Monday.

The fare for the 6.7 km stretch between MG Road and Baiyappanahalli doubled from Rs 20 to Rs 40, and fares on some longer routes, such as from Baiyappanahalli to Vidhana Soudha, increased from Rs 25 to Rs 50.

The maximum fare for journeys over 25 km is now Rs 90 and it is the highest among metro systems in India. In comparison, Delhi Metro, with a network of 353 km, charges Rs 60 for trips longer than 32 km.

BMRCL stated that the drop in ridership was due to the Aero India 2025 event. However, many regular passengers, particularly students and daily commuters, were unhappy with the fare hike and chose other transport options. BMRCL has said it will review the fare increase based on passenger feedback.

The fare increase comes after the metro network grew from 42.3 km to 76 km since 2017, with plans to expand to 175.55 km by 2026. BMRCL officials say the hike is needed to support the larger network.

Many regular commuters feel the fare hikes are unfair. New fares range from Rs 10 for trips up to 2 km to Rs 90 for trips over 30 km, with some routes seeing increases of more than 50%. Following backslash from people, the BMRCL has said that it would review the decision based on feedback from customers.