CM ups ante over Delhi Metro fare hike

New Delhi: A delegation of AAP MLAs met DMRC chief Mangu Singh and said it should find other means to increase its revenue instead of increase in fare from October 10. The party also threatened to stage protests if the DMRC goes ahead with the proposed hike.

Meanwhile, chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday directed the chief secretary, who is a member of the DMRC board, for convening an emergency meeting of the body over the move.

In a statement, the Delhi government said that another hike in Metro fares, within five months of the previous one, will act as a burden on commuters and bring down ridership. It claimed that Metro ridership has come down by five per cent each in the months of June and August as against the corresponding periods in 2016 and 2015. 

The 16-member Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) Board has three Delhi government representatives: the chief secretary, principal secretary (finance) S.N. Sahai and the transport secretary.

“The CM directed the chief secretary to apprise the DMRC Board about the notice for convening an emergency DMRC Board meeting, on the demand of the Delhi government,” the statement said.

As per DMRC’s own data, the fare hike in May resulted in a decrease in ridership by five per cent in June 2017 and in the same month of the past two years, the ridership went up by eight and nine per cent. If the hike is effected, the fares will go up by Rs 10. The existing structure up to 2 km is Rs 10, 2-5 km- Rs 15, 5-12 km- Rs 20, 12-21 km- Rs 30 21-32 km-Rs 40 and for beyond 32 km-Rs 50.