A day after the DMRC announced hike in Metro fares, students from various universities, led by the Students' Federation of India (SFI), staged a protest outside the DMRC headquarters on Tuesday, demanding immediate rollback of the recent metro fare hike, the student body said.
Even though the hike has been announced first time in 8 years, the students community has begun to feel the pinch of the revised rates.Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) DMRC took this step as it has been grappling with financial stress due to COVID losses, loan repayments and upkeep costs.
The hike ranges from Rs 1 to Rs 4 depending on the distance travelled, officials said. Members of the All India Democratic Women’s Association (AIDWA) also joined the demonstration, saying the increase will hit students and working women the hardest as they rely on the metro for their daily commute. The protesters alleged that lakhs of students already spend over Rs 100 per day on travel, and the hike would add an additional burden of Rs 500–800 per month.
"A major portion of the student community comes from middle-class and economically disadvantaged backgrounds. An increase of even ten rupees per trip means hundreds of rupees extra every month, forcing us to choose between travel and essential academic needs like books, photocopies and meals," said SFI Delhi State Committee member Sohan Kumar Yadav.
SFI activist Abhinandana Pratyashi said the metro is considered a relatively safe mode of transport for women students, and the fare hike would compel many to look for cheaper but unsafe alternatives. Kavita Sharma, secretary of AIDWA Delhi, said, "For many women students and working women, the metro is the only safe and dependable means of reaching colleges, workplaces and homes. Making it unaffordable denies women their basic right to mobility and security." The SFI and AIDWA demanded that DMRC withdraw the fare hike immediately and urged both the BJP-led Centre and the Delhi government to introduce concessional metro passes for students.
The revised fares, effective from August 25, will see an increase of Rs 1 to Rs 4 on most routes, while the Airport Express Line will see a rise of up to Rs 5.As per the new fare chart, a short journey of up to 2 km will now cost Rs 11, compared to the earlier Rs 10, while the longest ride of over 32 km will cost Rs 64, instead of Rs 60, on regular days.
Follow us
