SpiceJet has done it again. It has cancelled its Vizag – Bangalore flight, causing a nightmare to passengers who had already booked their tickets. The airline operator had, however, informed passengers a week ahead of the cancellation of the flight this time.
But, those who had booked their tickets a couple of months ago to avail of low fares and discounts are utterly disappointed.
Pradyumna, who is employed with a software company in Bangalore, had booked his ticket by the Vizag – Bangalore SpiceJet flight during the last week of September, to travel on for December 8. He received a message on November 29 that the flight was cancelled. “It was too late to go for alternative operator as the last-minute fares are high and I reluctantly agreed to airline operator’s offer to fly to Chennai on Sunday night and from there to Bangalore by the early morning flight on Monday. I had to remain awake all through the night as there was every chance of missing the morning flight. Several Bangalore-bound SpiceJet passengers waited listlessly at the airport lounge all through the night,” Mr. Pradyumna told this correspondent on phone.
It may be recalled that SpiceJet had cancelled its Delhi – Vizag flight on November 20 and informed its passengers of the cancellation the previous night. Bipasha of Delhi, had to cancel her official tour to Vizag, planned more than a month in advance.
The Railway authorities seem to be insensitive to the demands of passengers. They are either unable to see or unwilling to acknowledge the huge demand for berths from Visakhapatnam to Chennai on weekends.
After long struggles from the local people for an originating train to Chennai, train no. 22869 Visakhapatnam-Chennai weekly express was introduced. This train leaves Visakhapatnam at 7.10 p.m. on Mondays and reaches Chennai at 8.55 a.m. on Tuesdays. There was a demand for train to Chennai, which leaves on Sunday evening and reaches early in the morning on Monday for the convenience of software professionals from the city working in Chennai.
Now, a special train, from Visakhapatnam to Chennai, has been announced in the Railway timetable, issued in September this year. However, this train is scheduled to leave Visakhapatnam on Friday at 7 p.m. and reach Chennai at 9.30 a.m. on Saturday. It’s a different matter that the train is yet to be introduced.
“In the absence of an overnight train on Sundays, thepublic are left with no choice but to rely on buses. While express trains takes in about 14 hours, the luxury buses take about 15.30 hours ,” says Duvvada Railway User’s Association secretary K. Eswar.
