Tue Apr 29 18:51:07 UTC 2025: ## Kochi Metro Scraps Student Discount Cards, Sparking Outrage
**KOCHI, Kerala, April 30, 2025** – The Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL) has discontinued several discount cards, impacting numerous students who relied on the affordable fares for daily commutes. The decision, implemented in February 2025, has drawn sharp criticism from students and parents, who report increased travel costs and delays.
The metro, launched in 2017, initially offered various discount cards to boost ridership. However, KMRL has now withdrawn most of these, citing the need to increase revenue for the capital-intensive project. While KMRL maintains that regular fares haven’t increased since 2017, students argue that the removal of the discounts disproportionately affects them.
Affected students face significantly longer commutes and higher expenses. One student reported increased travel costs and delays causing lateness to classes. Mohammed Raffik, a parent whose daughter attends SCMS Cochin School of Business, noted that a return trip by metro now costs ₹80, forcing his daughter to consider slower, less convenient bus routes. He highlighted that students from Thripunithura now face over 90-minute bus journeys, compared to the much shorter metro ride.
Kala M.S., Dean of St. Teresa’s College, expressed concern about the impact on the student community, urging KMRL to explore alternative revenue-generating strategies. The sudden cancellation of a heavily used transportation option has added to the city’s existing traffic congestion, exacerbated by ongoing metro extension work.
The controversy underscores the challenges faced by public transport agencies in balancing affordability and financial sustainability. The KMRL’s decision has ignited calls for the reinstatement of student-friendly passes or the introduction of comparable alternatives.
First Piper 