Crime Today News
Hyderabad: Amid growing speculation regarding a possible fare hike in the Hyderabad Metro, officials have clarified that no such decision has been taken yet.
According to the L&T Metro Rail (Hyderabad) Ltd (L&TMRHL), the Hyderabad Metro project has accumulated losses exceeding Rs 6,500 crore, raising concerns about its financial viability.
According to reports, the firm said that while every effort has been made to boost non-fare revenue streams, a fare hike may become inevitable to offset rising input costs and ensure the project’s financial sustainability.
Speaking to Siasat.com, an official from Hyderabad Metro stated, “L&T Metro Rail (L&TMRHL) has been asking since forever to hike the price,” but he clarified that no discussions have taken place so far between Hyderabad Metro Rail Limited (HMRL) and the Telangana government on this matter.
Current ticket prices
Currently, metro fares start at Rs 10 for distances up to 2 km and go up to Rs 60 for travel beyond 26 km. With an estimated five lakh commuters relying on the metro daily, any fare revision is likely to have a significant impact on public transport users.
Ticket hike proposal in 2022
L&T stated in 2022 that it had suffered severe losses due to COVID-19 and requested the state government to revise metro rail fares.
At that time, the BRS-led state government asked the central government to set up a Fare Fixation Committee (FFC).
In response, the central government formed a committee under Sections 33 and 34 of the Metro Railway (Operation and Maintenance) Act, 2002.
The committee was chaired by retired Andhra Pradesh Judge Gudiseva Shyam Prasad, with Dr. Surendra Kumar, additional secretary, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Government of India, and Arvind Kumar, principal secretary, Municipal Administration & Urban Development, Government of Telangana, as members.
The committee studied factors like inflation, the wholesale price index, and L&T Metro’s proposals. After considering passenger objections as well, the committee recommended a revision of fares. However, the then state government was not agreeable to the proposal, so the fare revision was postponed
In May 2024, tensions flared between L&TMRHL and the Telangana government when L&T’s President and CFO, R Shankar Raman, suggested that the state’s Mahalakshmi scheme, which offers free bus travel for women, was affecting metro ridership.
Reacting strongly, Telangana chief minister Revanth Reddy defended the scheme and remarked that L&T was free to step away from the metro project if it found the situation untenable.
Bengaluru Metro ticket fare hike
The company is reportedly pushing for a fare revision, taking cues from other metro systems such as Bengaluru Metro, which recently implemented a 44 percent increase in fares.
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