Chennai: “We will continue to take strict action against private buses fleecing passengers. Though the government has not announced a common fare, operators have been instructed to stick to the minimum fare this season.”
These are the words uttered by State Minister for Transport, M R Vijayabhaskar, when he held a press meet a few days ago to announce that 20,567 special buses would be operated for Deepavali.
However, some omnibus owners have thrown caution to the wind and hiked fares in an exorbitant manner even before Deepavali, courtesy the long weekend due to Pooja holidays.
When News Today accessed a travel portal following complaints from passengers about the ‘unprecedented’ increase in fares, this is what it found.
For Chennai to Thuraiyur, against the normal fare which ranges between Rs 450 and Rs 550, Rs 750 and Rs 1,045 is being charged for Wednesday (17 October). And worse, these have been displayed as ‘best deals’ and ‘discounted rates’.
“Though there are trains and special buses by the government, the numbers are not enough as the demand during festival season is high. So, people have to settle for omnibuses. Making use of this, private buses fleece passengers,’ says Murugavel, who is from Coimbatore and works in Chennai. ‘If I am to take my family to my native place this Pooja holidays, I have to spend around Rs 10,000 for bus fare alone which is not possible,” he adds.
A private bus operator, on condition of anonymity, says, “From fuel price to staff salaries to operational costs, everything has increased manifold. How can you expect us to run buses for the same rates? We do not hike prices always and we make a little increase only during festival days which most of people don’t mind. When airlines are allowed to fix their own fares, why cannot we? It is always a case of demand and supply. But, if the government comes forward to regulate ticket rates by hiking them a little, we are ready to follow.”
When contacted, a Transport Department official, said, “We are planning surprise checks and other measures to keep bus fares under control. We are acting on complaints, too. If any omnibus is found violating rules, strict action will be taken.”
345% INCREASE?
A WhatsApp message with a screenshot of fares says there is a whopping 345 per cent increase in ticket rates from Bengaluru to Madurai for 2 November, ahead of Deepavali. When asked about this, a private operator said, “Will people travel if we hike rates by 345 per cent? This must be a fake post. Even if it is true, it might be by a few greedy bus-owners in Karnataka.”