THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: As usual, the interstate luxury buses have jacked up fares this Christmas. Someone travelling to Thiruvananthapuram from Bengaluru on Thursday night would have to shell out between Rs 3,000 and Rs 3,800 for a ticket, way more than travel in a petrol-fuelled car to the capital. Incidentally, tickets were available for as less as 'Rs 2,500 between Kochi and Bengaluru.
This problem will not occur if one has to travel to capital from Chennai because the tickets were sold out early on Thursday. As per the dictum of motor vehicle department earlier, the private carrier can charge only a maximum of 15 percent higher rates compared to KSRTC during festivals. However, the present rates were double that of KSRTC.
“We ply Thiruvananthapuram-Bangalore for Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,500. If government agencies formalise a ticket slab of say for Rs 1,500, we will not have to stick on to flexi charges to make profits. Even KSRTC has taken on to flexi-charging. The ones who charge the highest rate of Rs 4,000 or so are fly by night operators,” said an official of a major private bus carrier. The MVD is yet to regularise the interstate private bus services and put a control on the goods they illegally transport in passenger vehicles.
