Commuters of the Delhi Metro are all set to feel the pinch from Wednesday when the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) increases fares for the first time since 2009.
Change in fare slabs
The increase will range between ₹10 and ₹50.
Instead of ₹8 at present, the base fare will begin at ₹10 for a distance of up to 2km. Instead of the existing 15 fare slabs, there will be now six slabs of ₹15, ₹20, ₹30, ₹40 and ₹50. The maximum fare will be charged for travelling more than 32 km.
“The fare revision will be implemented in two phases. Phase-I will be implemented from May 10, while Phase II will be implemented from October 1,” said a DMRC spokesperson.
From October 1, the fare slabs will begin from ₹10 with a maximum fare of ₹60.
The hike was given a go-ahead by the DMRC Board on Monday based on the recommendations of a Fare Fixation Committee (FFC) set up by the Centre. The 4th FFC was set up in May 2016 to recommend fares for the Delhi Metro as per the Delhi Metro Rail (Operation & Maintenance) Act, 2002.
The committee is chaired by Justice M. L. Mehta, retired Judge of the High Court of Delhi, with K. K. Sharma, former Chief Secretary of the Delhi government, and Durga Shanker Mishra, Additional Secretary (Ministry of Urban Development) as the other members.
‘Necessary hike’
“The necessity to revise fares was because of increase in the cost of inputs viz. staff costs, cost of energy and the cost of repair and maintenance,” the spokesperson added.
In 2009, the minimum fare was increased from ₹6 to ₹8 and maximum fare was hiked from ₹22 to ₹30. The DMRC has been demanding a hike for a while citing increasing operational costs.
“Since the constitution of the third FFC, there has been an increase in the rate of industrial DA by 95.5% (from 16.9% to 112.4%), rate of Central DA by 103% (from 22% to 125%) and an average increase in the rate of minimum wages by 156.2%,” the spokesperson said.
Further, discounted fares have been approved to encourage ridership on Sundays and national holidays. These fares start from ₹10 and go up to ₹40. After October 1, these fares would be between ₹10 and ₹50. Commuters using smart cards will continue to enjoy 10% discount on every journey. “To avoid overcrowding during peak hours, an additional 10% discount will be given to passengers with smart cards who exit from the metro system during non-peak hours,” the spokesperson said. The off-peak hours will be from start of services to 8 a.m., 12 noon to 5 p.m. and 9 p.m. to closing of services.
“The above discount is applicable from Monday to Saturday. In all, a passenger can avail 20% discount on smart cards while travelling during non-peak hours,” the spokesperson added.
The value of a tourist card with a day and three days validity shall be ₹200 and ₹500, respectively. Fares for the Airport Express Line will remain unchanged.
