Delhi Metro rides dearer from next week

New Delhi: The Delhi Metro is all set to implement the second phase of fare hike from October 1. The Metro fares were last revised in May when the minimum tariff was raised from Rs 8 to Rs 10 and the maximum fare from Rs 30 to Rs 50.  However, commuters will feel the heat of the high fare by October 3 as October 1 is a Sunday and October 2 is Gandhi Jayanti, a national holiday, and hence there will be discount on the fares. Delhi Metro ridership has reportedly decreased after the last hike in Metro fare in May this year. DMRC (Delhi Metro Rail Corporation) has seen a dip in footfall, with June witnessing a fall of almost 1.5 lakh passengers per day as compared to June 2016.

Hence, it is anticipated that the second phase of fare revision might lead to a further dip in footfall. When Metro had started operations on December 25, 2002, the minimum and the maximum fare was Rs 4 and Rs 8 respectively.

The revised fare slabs from October 2017 is likely to be Rs 10 for the first 5 km, with subsequent increment of Rs 10 in each slab, going up to a maximum of Rs 50. Sources said that DMRC has cited increasing cost of electricity and maintenance works and salaries of staff as the reason behind the steep hike in fares.

“The recommendations made by the Fare Fixation Committee were repeatedly turned down by Metro board of directors comprising officials from Delhi government, Union urban development ministry, Union railways ministry, and others,” said sources. Passengers using smart cards will still be given 10 per cent discount.

Additional 10 per cent discount will be given to passengers exiting Metro premises using a Metro card on weekdays (Monday to Saturday) during “off-peak” hours. Special discounted fare slab will also be given on Sundays and national holidays to urge people to use Metro on non-working days.