Metro Fare Hike: AAP Says Move Will Favour Cab Companies, Commuters Want More Facilities
New Delhi, Oct 10: Delhiites would have to shell out more money to travel by Metro from today. The maximum fare, for journeys beyond 32 km, will now be Rs 60.
The revised fare structure will be: up to 2 km — Rs 10, 2 to 5 km — Rs 20, 5 to 12 km — Rs 30, 12 to 21 km — Rs 40, 21 to 32 km — Rs 50 and for journeys beyond 32 km — Rs 60.
The fare hike, which has triggered a war of words between the Delhi’s ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Centre, has received mixed response from commuters.
While some of the Delhi Metro travellers believe that th fare hike is justified if they are being offered more facilities, a few others are of the opinion that it should have been done in a phased manner.
“Delhi Metro fare hike will affect my budget by Rs 700 but if we want facilities similar to America, then we’ll have to pay,” a commuter told.
“People might shift to other modes of transport after the sudden fare hike. It should have been done in a phased manner,” said another.
“Keh rahe hain Metro loss mein hai par train mein paon rakhne ki jagah nahi hoti, facilities badha nahi rahe par kiraya badha rahe hain. (They Metro is incurring loss. Look at the crowd, there is no place inside the coaches to stand. They only increase fares but offer no new facilities,” said a disgruntled commuter.
Fake Hike To Benefit Ola, Uber: AAP
The AAP government, which had offered to take control of Delhi Metro and pay half of the operational cost if the Centre pays the other half, claimed that fare hike will benefit app-based cab aggregator firms like Ola, Uber.
Speaking in the Delhi Assembly on Monday as it passed a resolution against the fare hike, Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia said the BJP government was adamant to increase the fare.
“This is world’s first Assembly where government in power is asking for reduction in fare and opposition is demanding the hike,” Sisodia said.
Opposition leader Vijendra Gupta slammed the AAP government for politicising the issue.
“Metro has incurred operational losses and the state government should help by compensating DMRC for the losses,” Gupta said.
Commuters Body Calls For Boycott
Meanwhile, the Delhi Metro Commuters’ Association (DMCA) has called for boycott of metro services today.
“It should be known that metro fares are being raised for the second time this year. So drastic was the effect of fare increase earlier that the average metro ridership decreased to 1.3 lakh per day. The impending increase will raise fares by twice the original amount,” the DMCA said in a statement.
The association claimed that any further increase in Metro fare will have adverse effect on the ridership.
“The decision will affect the common people here, who are already reeling under inflation. The argument of the Urban Development Ministry and the DMRC citing losses are utterly false as fares are already very high. Moreover, almost all metro trains are jam-packed, thereby adding to profits,” DMCA convener Sachin S.
