Arvind Kejriwal back to dharna, to launch stir against Delhi Metro fare hike

New Delhi: Delhi's ruling Aam Aadmi Party will hold a ‘Satyagraha’ in national capital from Wednesday against the hike in Delhi Metro fares - the second this year.

Gopal Rai, a senior leader of the party, also said that AAP workers will also protest outside the Urban Development Ministry on October 13 against the fare hike. 

Rai, Delhi AAP convenor, also tweeted a poster yesterday announcing that the agitation will be held  at all city metro stations at 4 pm today. 

AAP volunteers will launch the agitation at all city metro stations at 4 pm on Wednesday, Rai said.

It will continue on Thursday and on Friday at 12 noon, when the party workers will lay siege to Union Urban Development Ministry housed in New Delhi's Nirman Bhavan, thye party said.

New metro fares came into effect on Tuesday despite strong opposition from Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP government, which had locked horns with the Delhi Metro Rail Corp (DMRC) over the hike.

Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia had alleged that the fare hike will benefit only the cab operators like Ola and Uber, whose services will become cheaper than metro.

During a heated discussion on the metro fare hike in the state assembly, the AAP legislators voiced similar concerns and passed a resolution in this reagrd.

New Delhi Metro Fares

If you are travelling beyond 5 km on the Delhi Metro, be prepared to shell out Rs 10 extra with yet another fare hike coming into effect. The hike, which comes five months within the last one, will affect every commuter of the mass rapid transit who travels beyond 5 km, while journeys falling in the 2-5 km distance slab will cost Rs 5 more.

The revised fare structure will be: 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 -- Rs 60.

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

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

When the Delhi Metro had started operations on December 25, 2002, the minimum fare was Rs 4 and maximum was Rs 8.