Sankranti rush spikes RTC, flight fares, rush at railway stations
Hyderabad: Airlines, RTC and private travels companies and taxis hiked fares ahead of people leaving for their homes for Sankranti.
The TGSRTC, operating 6,432 special buses, is charging one-and-a-half times the usual fare on it specials. Private operators are charging up to Rs 2,000 for AC sleeper buses to Vijayawada from Hyderabad, against the norm of about ₹900. Tickets on private non-AC services were being sold at ₹1,500 apiece.
TGSRTC officials said the revised fares for special services during festivals were in line with Government Order (GO) No. 16 (2003), which permits higher ticket prices based on minimum diesel costs and additional maintenance needs. Buses often travel back empty or with fewer passengers, TGSRTC officials reasoned.
A total of 59 special trains are being operated from Hyderabad city to destinations such as Narsapur, Kakinada, and Srikakulam. Special fares being charged on many services is higher than normal.
The price of flight ticket to AP went through the roof, as passengers headed to Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada and the temple town of Tirupati.
A flight ticket to Visakhapatnam on Sunday was priced at ₹12,357, compared to ₹5,741 on January 13 and ₹3,934 on January 14. On another airline, a flight to Vijayawada would set the passenger back by ₹9,773 on January 12, a sharp contrast to ₹7,610 on January 13 and ₹2,598 on January 14.
Non-stop flights from Hyderabad to Tirupati on January 12 were priced at ₹6,686, while one airline charged ₹7,484. Prices for the same journey drop significantly in the following days, starting from ₹4,585.
On January 11, flights from Hyderabad to Visakhapatnam were priced at ₹13,536 on one airline, while tickets to Vijayawada were listed at ₹8,367 on another.