It's true railway ares have remained static over several years because of the muddled thinking of the previous regimes controlling the railway ministry. There has been an urgent need to hike revenue to take care of increasing costs and fund new projects. It's also unreasonable not to expect fares for other forms of commute (like the auto-rickshaw ) to rise over time, again to take care of rising input costs (like fuel). But there must be something in this for commuters as well. And it's not only railways we are talking about. Hiked auto-rickshaw and taxi fares, for instance, have not translated into fewer refusals. This is where it hurts. For the hike to be acceptable, hiked fares must be accompanied by better service. journey within the city."

Driving one's own vehicle, too, has become an even more unaffordable proposition, courtesy steep fuel prices. Finance professional Dharmesh Shah said, "The price of petrol is very high, as is the cost of diesel. My colleagues and I find travelling from home to work a much costlier affair."