The 2.6 million-odd daily commuters travelling on Delhi Metro, by far an efficient system, have had little to gripe about the swanky network. People marvel at the sight of its sleek trains snaking around the city. The love affair seems soured of late, with the network’s decision this May to raise fares—the first time in eight years.
Political parties and the Delhi government are in up arms. Commuters too are fretting over the hike in a country where populist politics ensures public utilities are priced rock-bottom low. How low? One yardstick is whether a utility—anything from power to water supply—is allowed to generate enough revenue to recover maintenance costs, if not the upfront capital cost of setting it up. (Even subsidy-supporting economists now agree on the need to realise the upkeep costs from consumers, if not the latter.)
The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation, which is the public firm that runs the system, therefore, finds itself in a ‘damned if you do, damned if you don’t’ situation. If the...
