After remaining static for nearly a decade, fares of Kolkata’s Metro Railway may move up soon. Run by the Indian Railways, Kolkata metro spent nearly Rs 250 to earn every Rs 100 in 2011-12.

The popular mode of city transport has been incurring heavy operational losses for the last one decade, thanks to the ‘no passenger fare-hike’ policy of successive political parties that held the Rail portfolio .

The revenue gap particularly widened during the reign of Trinamool Congress in the Rail ministry, when metro lines were extended leading to higher passenger load.

With Trinamool quitting the UPA Govt at the Centre, the Railway ministry is now planning to introduce a moderate hike in fares .

According to Metro Railway sources, the minimum fare is expected to be increased to Rs 5 from Rs 4 and there would be hike in every stage (zone) accordingly.

Panel formed

“A committee has been formed at the ministry level to review the fares of Kolkata metro. The ministry will take a final call on this. We want a fare hike to sustain the services. There has been no fare hike for the last ten years,” Radhey Shyam, General Manager, Metro Railway, Kolkata, told Business Line .

According to Shyam, the committee has already held meetings in this regard. He, however, did not specify the quantum of hike in metro fares.

Asked when the revised fare would be implemented, Shyam said the ministry has not informed the metro railway authorities in this regard.

In March this year, Kolkata metro chalked out plans to rent out its unused properties in the city, including the Metro Bhavan, to generate additional revenues.

> ayan.pramanik@thehindu.co.in

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