Jaipur: Facing rise in operational and maintenance cost, the Jaipur Metro Rail Corporation (JMRC) will increase fare slab for the first time after it’s launch.
The revised fare will be effective from April 1, 2017. As per the policy, the JMRC has mandate to increase the fare in every two years. The increased fares will directly depend on increase of per unit purchase of electricity, dearness allowance rate of state government employees and monthly all India consumer price index for industrial workers.
A senior JMRC official informed, “On January 2015, the JMRC was purchasing electricity from JVVNL at Rs 6.25 per unit. Now, it has been increased to Rs 7.30 per unit. Similarly, consumer price index consumer price index has been increased by nearly 15% . The JMRC has existing a formula to calculate the increase in price. The rates will be revised on that basis.”
Sources said, there will not be an exponential hike in the fares and Rs 3-5 are expected to be increased in maximum fare. The JMRC will announced the revised rates after a board meeting scheduled to be held on Friday.
The JMRC is struggling to earn revenue as average ridership in Jaipur Metro dropped from 49,774 per day in the first month (June 2015) of its operations to just 19,390 per day in December 2016.
