Get set to shell out more for bus travel for the October 2 to 5 weekend. A slew of holidays, including Gandhi Jayanti, Ayudha Pooja and Maha Navami has resulted in a rush to travel out of Bangalore.
A journey from Bangalore to Belgaum could cost Rs. 3,300 on a multi-axle air-conditioned service.
While this fare hike is visible across the State, the quantum of hike is more pronounced in Bangalore since the city has lakhs of new settlers, who wish to celebrate festivals at their hometowns or like to travel out.
The minimum fare on a ‘two plus two seats’ executive bus on Bangalore-Mangalore sector on October 1 is Rs. 850 and goes up to Rs. 1,699 for air-conditioned sleeper service. This used to be between Rs. 600 and Rs. 900. Similarly, on the Bangalore-Hyderabad sector, the fares are up from the Rs. 800- Rs. 1,500 bracket on normal days to Rs. 1,050-Rs. 3,000; on the Chennai sector from Rs. 450- Rs. 1,200 to Rs. 650- Rs. 2,850; on the Hubli sector from Rs. 550- Rs.1,100 to Rs. 950- Rs. 3,300, and on the Ernakulam sector from Rs. 800- Rs.1,630 to Rs. 1,365-Rs. 2,700.
Aravind Shetty, a Mangalorean settled in Bangalore, said he had no option but to book tickets for his family at Rs. 1,500 per seat for October 1, whereas he would have paid just Rs. 900 for the same service on normal days.
“I had very limited options as I could not advance my travel due to the workload,” Mr. Shetty, who works in a private firm, said.
Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy had spoken about reining-in private operators, who jack up fares during holidays, by bringing a suitable amendment to the Motor Vehicles Act.
However, legal experts have their own doubts as these operators obtain permits as contract/ tourist carriage and operate on regular routes as normal buses. Private operators too claim they only make up the losses suffered during the slack season.
On its part, the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) too has hiked the fares; but by 10 per cent as is done routinely since a decade. KSRTC General Manager (Operations) K.S. Vishwanath said the slack season ends on September 30, and peak season fares come into effect from October 1.
The corporation would not jack up fares like private operators, he said. Most of the RTC services are fully booked on October 1 and the corporation is operating additional services with extra fares to cater to the demand.
