Chennai: Contending that the Centre had virtually ‘no role’ in fixing the fare for the recently launched Chennai metro rail, Union minister of state for road transport, highways and shipping, Pon Radhakrishnan hinted that the metro rail authorities could take an independent call on this.
“The Centre has no role in the fares announced by the Chennai Metro Rail Ltd. It should be addressed by the officials concerned,” he said when asked about the protest building up among various political parties including BJP and the public over the fare of Rs 40 for a distance of 10.15 km from Alandur to Koyembedu.
PMK founder Dr S. Ramadoss, for instance, had reacted sharply saying the Chennai Metro ticket fare was 250 % higher than that of Delhi Metro and that the minimum fare in Delhi is only Rs8 whereas in Chennai the minimum fare is Rs10.
Similarly, the fare for a 10km travel in Delhi is only Rs 16. However, in Chennai, it has been fixed at Rs 40, he had pointed out. In fact, BJP state president, Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan, who travelled in the metro on Saturday, sought a reduction in the fare and party’s state vice president Vanathi Srinivasan who took a group of flower sellers, tailors, domestic maids and others on a metro ride said the authorities should grant permission for people to carry luggage containing flowers and vegetables in the train.
She also said that the Tamil Nadu BJP would push for a reduction in the fare. During his recent visit to the city former Union minister Narayanasamy said the fare is fixed by a committee of the Metro Rail Ltd and urged the corporation to consider the people’s plea on lessening their burden.
