Bengaluru: Travelling out of Benglauru this weekend became an expensive affair as private bus operators jacked up fares with hordes of people from the city heading to their hometowns for the Ganesha festival on Monday.
Most private transporters doubled their fares. Travelling on an air-conditioned bus from Bengaluru to Kannur made you poorer by Rs 945 and to Chennai by Rs 1,800. On other days, the fares for the same destinations would be Rs 550 and Rs 750.
While the state transport department is reluctant to act against private operators, the absence of a regulatory body has allowed these operators to fleece passengers. But the operators claim that they increase fares during festivals to make up for losses on lean days rest of the year.
“Over the last two weekends, many Bengalureans could not travel as the entire state was affected by heavy rains and floods, especially in coastal areas. Maharashtra and Kerala too were affected by heavy rains. This was the first weekend when Bengalureans could visit their hometowns after the floods. But many had to drop their plans because of exorbitant bus fares,” Mr Shankar K.L., a traveller, told Deccan Chronicle.
People were angry that there was no relation between the distance and the fare. Those travelling to Mangaluru, Bidar, Hyderabad and Coimbatore had to shell out a lot more as the demand is very high. Sources in the transport sector said that as the festival came closer, the fares went higher, and in some cases it was almost as expensive as the air fare. Taking undue advantage of the rush, some operators have also stopped booking return tickets, they said.
“It’s the same story every year. During festivals, state transport buses are full and we are forced to opt for private operators, who charge astronomical sums. But the government has made no effort to rein in private bus operators. We understand that there is a high demand during festivals and we are ready to pay a small increase in the bus fare. But most operators almost doubled the fares, which is unfair,” said Mr Abhilash R., another traveller, who had booked a bus ticket to Mangaluru for Rs 3,000.
KSRTC has made elaborate arrangements for Gowri-Ganesha festival on September 2 and will operate 1,800 extra buses. Special buses will be exclusively operated from Bengaluru Kempegowda bus station to Dharmasthala, Kukke Subramanya, Shivamogga, Hassan, Mangaluru, Kundapura, Sringeri, Horanadu, Davanagere, Hubballi, Dharwad, Belagavi, Vijayapura, Gokarna, Sirsi, Karwar, Raichur, Kalaburagi, Ballari, Koppal, Yadgir, Bidar, Tirupati and other places.
All premier special buses will be operated from Shanthinagar (in front of KSRTC, Bengaluru central bus Depot-4 and Depot-2) to Madurai, Kumbakonam, Tiruchirapalli, Chennai, Coimbatore, Tirupati, Vijayawada, Hyderabad and other places in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh.
