HC declines to quash Delhi Metro fare hike decision

Team Udayavani, Nov 14, 2017, 6:00 PM IST

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court today refused to interfere with the Delhi Metro’s decision to increase mass rapid transit fare by 100 per cent.

A bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar also observed that this was a policy decision and the court would not like to step into it.

“We are not inclined to interfere with it (the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation) decision. Neither do we have any jurisdiction to go into it,” the bench said, adding that the petitioner had not even approached the authorities with his representation.

Amer Vaid, a second year law student, had moved the court challenging the recommendations of the fourth fare fixation committee (FFC) of the Delhi Metro to increase the fare by 100 per cent.

Seeking quashing of the recommendations, which were ffected in two phases (May and October), the plea said the increased fares were in contravention to the previous norms of the FFC, wherein, the distance zone was reduced from 15 to six km, leaving citizens of the national capital region in a “detrimental situation”.

The plea said the increase in fares inordinately led to a situation where passengers travelling distances differing by nine km were made to pay the same amount which was unfair and unjust.

The bench, however, was of the view that why couldn’t the authorities charge their fare.

It directed the law student to make a representation to the Delhi Metro which would take a view and communicate to him immediately.

The revised fare structure was: up to 2 km – Rs 10, 2 to 5 km Rs 20, 5 to 12 km Rs 30, 12 to 21 km Rs 40, 21 to 32 km Rs 50 and for journeys beyond 32 km Rs60.

Smart card users, who, according to the DMRC’s estimates, happen to be 70 per cent of the metro’s total ridership, would continue to get 10 per cent discount on each ride.

They would get an additional discount of 10 per cent while travelling during off-peak hours, that was from the beginning of services till 8 am, between 12 pm and 5 pm and from 9 pm to the end of the services.