Almost 28-30 lakh Delhi Metro passengers will have to shell out higher fares with effect from May 10, ranging from ₹2 to ₹20, with the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) Board accepting the recommendation of the fare fixation committee.

The move, however, has been flayed by the Delhi government, which is a 50 per cent owner of DMRC along with 50 per cent by the Urban Development Ministry.

CM’s objection “Delhi Metro fare hike is a wrong decision. Elected Delhi govt had opposed the move. Del govt had told DMRC increase in fares will force commuters to shift to personal vehicles and in fact fares should be reduced,” ran a Twitter thread by the media advisor to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.

However, DMRC announced on Monday that with effect from May 10, the minimum fare will increase to ₹10 from ₹8 and the maximum fare to ₹50 from ₹30. The fares will further go up from October 1, with the maximum fare touching ₹60. The decision comes days after the municipal elections in Delhi that saw BJP sweeping the results.

The fare fixation committee’s recommendation was to make the increase tempered, said KK Saberwal, Director-Finance, DMRC.

There will be a total of six fare slabs against the existing 15. For smart card users, who get 10 per cent discount, DMRC will provide an additional 10 per cent discount during the off-peak hours — up to 8 am, 12 noon-5 pm, and 9 pm onwards.

The discount is applicable from Monday to Saturday, as Sundays and three national holidays have lower level of fares. The number of slabs have been lowered.

The value of a tourist card will be ₹200 (against ₹150) for one day, and ₹500 (against ₹300) for three days. This includes the ₹50 as security deposit.

DMRC said it had not worked out details of the expected revenue increase, but after the increase, while loan repayment costs will be covered, the entire depreciation costs will not be covered, said Saberwal.

As per its audited results, Delhi Metro has been making operational profits, with its operating ratio at 69 (2015-16), but the ratio will worsen this year, he added. This means DMRC needs to spend 69 paise to earn ₹1. The average distance moved by DMRC is 15 km. For the 15-km slab, the present fare is ₹18, while after the hike, it will touch ₹30 and ₹40.

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