Chennai, Sept 8:
Passengers travelling from Chennai to southern Tamil Nadu for the Ganesh Chaturthi holidays are facing steep increases in omni-bus fares, with sleeper tickets to Nagercoil reportedly touching Rs 5,000 for a single seat.
The sharp increase has been reported ahead of the September 13 holiday, when large numbers of people are expected to travel to their hometowns to celebrate the festival with their families.
Tickets on the Chennai-Nagercoil route, which normally cost around Rs 1,200 to Rs 1,500 for sleeper services, have risen to between Rs 4,000 and Rs 5,000 during the peak travel period.
The highest fares are reportedly being quoted for services operating from Chennai to Nagercoil on September 12 and 13.
Passengers returning from Nagercoil to Chennai are also facing elevated fares. Tickets for September 14 and 15 are reportedly priced between Rs 4,000 and Rs 5,000.
The surge has left many middle-class passengers with limited options, particularly those who failed to secure train tickets for the extended holiday period.
Passengers alleged that omni-bus operators were taking advantage of the shortage of railway tickets and the increased demand to charge excessive fares.
While fare increases during weekends and festivals are not unusual, commuters said the current levels were excessive and placed an additional burden on families already facing increased festival expenses.
Public representatives and social activists have urged the Transport Department to conduct immediate inspections and take action against operators charging fares in violation of applicable regulations.
They have also called for additional government special buses to be operated on high-demand routes to provide passengers with an affordable alternative.