As many as 14 private buses were seized by the Road Transport Authority (RTA) authorities on Friday for reportedly fleecing passengers. The officials also registered cases against the proprietors of the travel companies for violations such as transporting goods in the buses.
The private operators, in a bid to make a fast buck during the Sankranti festival, hiked the fares and are minting money from passengers going to their hometowns for the Sankranti festival. The bus fares have been hiked by 100 to 150 per cent more than the normal fares, according to Deputy Transport Commissioner S. Venkateswara Rao.
The passengers were forced to travel by bus private buses as APSRTC and railways had failed to cater to the Sankranti festival. A young software engineer G Ganesh, who paid Rs.3,000 for travel from Hyderabad by an AC bus, said he had no other option as he could not get accommodation in trains and RTC buses and paid almost triple that amount for the ticket.
The DTC appealed the public to report to the transport officials over phone or in person, if the private buses charge additional fares for the return journey.
Meanwhile, it’s learnt that some buses, which do not have the mandatory fitness certificate were being operated to destinations like Vijayawada and Srikakulam from Vizag to cash in on the festival rush.
Anakapalle RTO AH Khan and his team inspected private buses at the Aganampudi toll gate. They booked cases against buses violating the norms.
