CHENNAI:
With Gandhi Jayanti and a string of holidays prompting a large number of people to leave Chennai for their native places, Kilambakkam Kalaignar Centenary Bus Terminus witnessed a massive rush.
As passengers crowded the terminus to board buses to various parts of Tamil Nadu, allegations surfaced that omni bus operators were taking advantage of the holiday demand and charging fares several times higher than the usual rates.
Passengers said fares to popular destinations had increased sharply. When enquiries were made about the fare for a bus to Tiruchirappalli, passengers were reportedly quoted around Rs.1,300. A broker was said to have told passengers that the fare on normal days was around Rs.300, but that the price had gone up because of the heavy rush.
The situation was reportedly even more pronounced for passengers travelling to southern districts. Passengers said that a ticket to Tirunelveli, which normally costs around Rs.600, was being quoted at as much as Rs.2,500 during the holiday period.
āEvery time more passengers get into the bus, the ticket fare seems to go up. We do not know what the fare will be at the time of booking,ā some passengers complained.
Passengers also alleged that fares for travel from Tiruchirappalli to Chennai had similarly increased several times during the holiday period compared with normal days.
The sudden increase has caused considerable concern among families who had planned to travel to their hometowns during the continuous holidays. With government and regular services witnessing heavy demand, passengers said they were left with limited options and were forced to consider private and omni buses despite the steep fares.
The rush was attributed to Gandhi Jayanti and the consecutive holidays, which resulted in a large number of Chennai residents travelling to their native districts at the same time. The heavy movement of passengers was visible at Kilambakkam from the morning, with crowds gathering at various boarding points.
Passengers have urged the authorities to closely monitor omni bus fares during the holiday season and take appropriate action if operators are found to be charging fares beyond the permitted limits.
With more people expected to return to Chennai at the end of the holiday period, passengers have also called for effective monitoring of fares on buses operating towards the city, particularly from major southern destinations.