If the already hiked prices of tickets of private buses are any indication, the private transport sector seems all set to make a killing, with public bus transport expected to go off road from Monday.
Inquiries with intracity private bus transport service providers revealed that though the bookings have not seen a sudden surge, many of them have already started charging premium rates for tickets. One of the companies told The Hindu that they will take a call on premium charging on Monday, depending on the demand for bookings.
The absence of a huge demand for bookings on private buses is being attributed to the strike taking off on a Monday. “If the strike continues for three to four days, then we expect a huge surge in demand,” a private bus operator said.
Rahul S., a regular commuter between Hubballi and Bengaluru, said while the regular price was around Rs. 750 for a volvo ticket, the prices had already been hiked to Rs. 1,300 in certain bus services. “Private bus operators charge premium rates even during festival seasons. There is a lack of enforcement,” he said.
Meanwhile, Rajender Kumar Kataria, Managing Director, KSRTC, said that he had written to the Road Transport Corporations (RTCs) of Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Maharashtra requesting them to ply more buses in the State on Monday so that their schedules will provide basic transport facilities. “All RTCs have responded positively to our request,” he said.
