P. Vamsi Krishna, who works for a software firm in Hyderabad and is a native of Srikakulam, planned to travel home in order to cast his vote in the forthcoming elections scheduled to be held on April 11.
However, he was in for a rude shock when he tried to book a bus ticket for April 9 as the fares were hiked to double, and in some cases even triple, the usual rate.
A large workforce in Hyderabad with roots in Visakhapatnam, East Godavari, Vizianagaram and Srikakulam prefer travelling by bus to come home as the timings are convenient. While hiking of bus ticket fare is a regular practice during festive seasons such as Sankranti or Dasara, passengers said that this is the first time operators are cashing in on the election rush when many people travel home to cast their vote.
Exorbitant rise
Prices of the bus tickets have been hiked exorbitantly, with even a non-AC ticket being sold for as high as an off-season flight ticket, say passengers.
On April 9, the fare of most non-AC buses have been hiked from ₹700 to ₹2,000. An AC semi-sleeper coach ticket that usually costs ₹900 has now been hiked to ₹2,500 in some cases.
The most drastic change is the hike in ticket fare of AC sleeper buses. While a ticket usually comes for Rs.1,200, now the price has been hiked to a whopping ₹3,300.
The situation on April 10 (election eve) is even worse as some AC semi-sleeper buses are charging ₹3,500 for a ticket.
"If the ticket fares do not come down, I will try to book train tickets in tatkal quota. The government, which has been creating awareness on the importance of casting votes, should step in and take action," said Mr. Vamsi Krishna.
Private buses plying on the Vijayawada-Visakhapatnam route have also increased their fares. A few buses have been charging about ₹3,300 for AC sleeper buses instead of the usual ₹2,000. A few non-AC buses on the same route are charging around ₹1,500 per ticket.
Return fares hiked too
Anticipating that voters would stay on at their homes for a couple of days after voting day, operators have hiked ticket fares till April 14 in the return direction too.
Trains packed
One of the busiest trains on the Secunderabad-Visakhapatnam route — Garib Rath Express — has a Waiting List (WL) of 282 for April 9. Moreover, on April 10, booking of tickets is no longer available. Same is the case for other trains including Janmabhoomi, Godavari, Visakha, and Faluknuma, whose WL ranges from 150 to 350.
"We have little hope of getting a ticket in tatkal quota. The government must arrange special trains keeping in mind the number of voters going to their native place, just like during Sankranti or any other festive occasion," said B. Rajeswari Devi, a private employee from Hyderabad and a native of Salur in Vizianagaram district.
Flight tickets are also witnessing a steep hike of about ₹1,000 to ₹1,500. While Hyderabad-Visakhapatnam flights are charging ₹3,300 to ₹4,200 as compared to the normal fare of ₹2,500, Bengaluru-Visakhapatnam flights are charging ₹3,700 to ₹6,500, up from the usual fare of ₹2,500.
