Chennai, Sept 11:
Omni-bus fares from Chennai to several parts of Tamil Nadu have surged by up to four times ahead of the Vinayagar Chaturthi festival, with fares to Madurai touching Rs.4,013.
Lakhs of people from across Tamil Nadu live in Chennai for education, employment, business and other reasons. During festivals and extended holidays, many of them travel to their native places. With train tickets getting booked quickly, particularly during festival periods, a large number of passengers depend on bus services.
Taking advantage of the increased demand, omni-bus operators have been raising fares sharply during festival seasons. This has once again become evident ahead of Vinayagar Chaturthi, which falls on Monday.
With Saturday, Sunday and Monday forming a continuous holiday period, many people are expected to leave Chennai for their hometowns on Friday. The increased demand has pushed omni-bus fares to several destinations by as much as four times.
The maximum fare from Chennai to Madurai has been fixed at Rs.4,013, while passengers travelling to Coimbatore have to pay up to Rs.3,239. The fare to Tirunelveli has risen to Rs.3,499, while Kanyakumari-bound passengers have to pay up to Rs.3,882.
The maximum fare to Nagercoil has been fixed at Rs.3,699 and the fare to Erode at Rs.2,580.
On Monday, when passengers are expected to return to Chennai after the festival holiday, omni-bus fares from various towns have also been fixed at high levels.
The maximum fare from Madurai to Chennai has been fixed at Rs.2,650, while the fare from Coimbatore is Rs.2,999. Passengers travelling from Tirunelveli to Chennai have to pay up to Rs.3,999.
The fare from Kanyakumari to Chennai has been fixed at Rs.3,831, while the fare from Nagercoil is Rs.3,599 and from Erode Rs.2,040.
There is also a possibility that fares could rise further on Sunday and Monday if passenger demand increases.
Meanwhile, heavy traffic is expected on the roads as a large number of people are likely to travel to their hometowns in their own vehicles. Toll plazas could witness severe congestion during the holiday rush.
Railway stations are also expected to be crowded. Trains operating from Chennai Egmore towards southern districts and services from Chennai Central towards western districts are likely to see heavy passenger movement.
Police personnel have been making security and crowd-management arrangements in view of the festival rush.