Overview

• BMRCL uploaded the Fare Fixation Committee report after roughly seven months of withholding, following High Court intervention and sustained public pressure.
• The FFC recommended a 51.55% increase spread over 7.5 years with automatic annual revisions capped at 5% using a transparent formula tied to operating costs.
• The committee advised simplifying the structure to 10 rounded slabs, keeping the minimum fare at ₹10 and capping the maximum at ₹90.
• Despite earlier claims of following the panel, BMRCL’s February 2025 revision raised fares by up to 71% after an initial outcry and a directive from the chief minister to scale back.
• The report shows BMRCL had sought a 105% hike, while the FFC found the corporation’s cost escalation was overstated, citing about a 39.6% rise in real O&M cost per route-km since 2017–18, and BMRCL now points to automatic hikes from 2026 to manage projected losses and loan repayments.