Bengaluru: Diwali travel has turned into an expensive affair for thousands of people leaving Bengaluru for their hometowns, with private bus operators sharply increasing ticket prices.
Fares on several popular routes have risen two to three times, and in some cases substantially more, compared with regular days.
Amid growing passenger demand, the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) has announced 2,600 additional buses to facilitate festival travel.
The Kempegowda Bus Station at Majestic witnessed a heavy rush on Friday, November 6, as people began travelling to their native places ahead of the festival, which begins on Sunday, November 8.
KSRTC Chief Traffic Manager Prabhakar Reddy said additional buses had been arranged to cater to the increased passenger movement.
“From today, 2,600 additional vehicles will operate from Bengaluru to various destinations within Karnataka and outside the state. These services will depart from Kempegowda Bus Station, the Satellite Bus Station on Mysuru Road and the BMTC bus stand at Shantinagar,” he said.
While the state transport corporation has increased its fleet, private bus operators have come under criticism for imposing steep festive fares.
The Bengaluru-Mangaluru journey, which normally costs between Rs 496 and Rs 1,157, is now priced at Rs 1,785-Rs 4,999. Travellers heading to Hubballi are being charged between Rs 1,989 and Rs 8,000, against the regular range of Rs 660-Rs 1,700.
Similarly, fares to Dharwad have jumped from Rs 389-Rs 1,300 to Rs 1,400-Rs 7,000. The Bengaluru-Karwar route has witnessed an increase from Rs 542-Rs 900 to Rs 1,690-Rs 6,999.
Passengers travelling to Chikkamagaluru are also facing higher costs, with tickets now ranging from Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,836, compared with Rs 366-Rs 618 on normal days.
On the Bengaluru-Kalaburagi route, fares have increased to Rs 1,699-Rs 4,000. Those travelling to Shivamogga are being charged Rs 1,199-Rs 2,297, while tickets to Kodagu are priced between Rs 850 and Rs 2,706.
Even shorter journeys have become costlier. Bengaluru-Mysuru fares have increased from Rs 350-Rs 1,000 to Rs 450-Rs 2,200.
Passengers have expressed anger over what they describe as excessive exploitation of festival demand. They point out that the recent 23 per cent hike in KSRTC fares has already increased their travel expenditure.
With private operators charging significantly higher rates and public transport fares also having gone up, Diwali travel has become a costly proposition for ordinary families.
The additional KSRTC services are expected to provide some relief, but passengers are demanding measures to prevent private operators from charging exorbitant fares during festive periods.
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