{"id":3075,"date":"2025-03-10T12:27:33","date_gmt":"2025-03-10T12:27:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/belgaumnow.com\/?p=3075"},"modified":"2025-03-10T12:27:33","modified_gmt":"2025-03-10T12:27:33","slug":"metro-fare-hike-draws-fury-as-protesters-demand-justice-for-commuters-greenpeace-india","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/belgaumnow.com\/?p=3075","title":{"rendered":"Metro Fare Hike Draws Fury as Protesters Demand Justice for Commuters | Greenpeace India"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Bengaluru Metro Protest Condemns Unjust Fare Hike, Demands Equitable Public Transport<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bengaluru<\/strong>: Outrage and frustration echoed through Bengaluru\u2019s metro system as hundreds of commuters staged a mass protest today, decrying the metro fare hike as unjust and exclusionary. Organized by Greenpeace India, the demonstration spotlighted the growing anguish over spiraling public transport costs that have callously marginalized women, students, and low-income groups. Protesters wielded placards bearing urgent messages such as \u201cUn-Fare Hike, Unfair Cities\u201d and \u201cMetro for People, Profit for Whom?\u201d as they rode from Kengeri to MG Road, demanding the rollback of fare increases that have burdened everyday commuters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A recent survey by Greenpeace India painted a grim picture of the fare hike\u2019s fallout: 72.9% of metro users now spend as much on transportation as they do on food, while ridership plummeted by 13%, with an alarming 20% drop in February 2025 alone. Particularly disturbing is the survey\u2019s revelation that 38.2% of women have curbed their mobility due to the prohibitive fares, further entrenching barriers to gender equality in public spaces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Greenpeace India campaigner Aakiz Farooq lambasted the hike, stating, \u201cThis fare increase is an affront to the very principles of public service. Public transport must serve the needs of the people, not succumb to profit-hungry motives. At a time when our cities are grappling with severe environmental crises, affordable and efficient mass transit should be a cornerstone of government policy. Instead, commuters are being punished for relying on an essential service. This is unacceptable.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The fare hike has inflicted widespread suffering, forcing families to reevaluate school choices and compelling low-income workers to resort to more expensive and environmentally harmful modes of transport. This unjust shift exacerbates urban road congestion and contributes to air pollution, with vehicular emissions already a major source of PM10 and PM2.5 particulate matter. In response, Greenpeace India has rightfully demanded that the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) reverse the hike and explore sustainable revenue options, such as congestion charges and stricter parking regulations, to promote public welfare instead of profiteering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One affected commuter, Irene Ann Kuttichira, shared her plight: \u201cEvery fare hike is a blow to daily commuters like me. It leaves us in a desperate situation where we must sacrifice essentials just to get to work or college. We need a public transport system that is truly inclusive\u2014one that recognizes the needs of all its users, not just the affluent.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Bengaluru Metro, originally envisioned as an accessible and inclusive lifeline, is fast becoming a symbol of inequity. Each fare increase tightens the stranglehold on vulnerable populations\u2014students, informal workers, women, and even IT professionals\u2014while the authorities appear indifferent to the mounting public despair. Protesters have rightfully demanded that state and central governments take decisive action to reverse these harmful policies and prioritize sustainable, inclusive, and equitable public transport systems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Statements<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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  1. “Affordable public transport is not a privilege\u2014it\u2019s a necessity. The Bengaluru Metro fare hike betrays this principle, leaving commuters to bear the brunt of poor policy decisions.”<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. “The metro fare hike is a double blow: economically crippling for vulnerable groups and environmentally reckless as it pushes people back to private vehicles.”<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. “Every hike in metro fares is a step away from inclusivity. Public transport should unite, not divide.”<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    Quotes<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n