Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya has moved the Karnataka High Court against the state government and Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) on charges of not releasing the report of the Metro Fare Fixation Committee (FFC), which has suggested a high fare increase.
It's disheartening that the BMRCL and Karnataka state government is not releasing the FFC report, which suggested a 130 per cent fare hike...," Surya said in a social media post on X. Surya claimed in his X post that even after repeated appeals, including RTI applications submitted in the past three months, the report remains unreleased.
He also criticised the Fare Fixation Committee for coming out with sweeping suggestions and going on foreign study tours at taxpayers' expense, but not being transparent. "All other metros in the country, including Delhi, have published their FFC reports. Why is Bengaluru different? What is the government trying to hide?" he asked.
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Surya also emphasised that the hike in fare has brought about a huge reduction in Metro ridership, which has positioned Namma Metro as the costliest mass transit in the country. "This has priced the Metro out of the reach of many middle-class commuters," he furthered.
Targeting Congress-controlled state government, the Bharatiya Janata Party MP questioned why Chief Minister Siddaramaiah insists on holding back the report, when there is no question of national security or legal holdback. "Public transport needs to be affordable, reliable, and most importantly accountable to the public who pay for and use it," Surya stated.
He ended by terming the legal battle a battle for transparency, justice, and the rights of Bengaluru commuters. "I will not stop until Namma Bengaluru is a model in public transport for all of India," he promised.
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