TIRUPATI: As the Sankranti festival approaches, private bus operators across Andhra Pradesh have seized the opportunity to significantly hike ticket fares on routes connecting major cities.
The Sankranti season sees over 42 lakh people undertaking journeys or booking tickets across the state to celebrate the harvest festival and meet their near and dear ones. With train tickets sold out, buses remain the most preferred mode of transportation.
While the APSRTC has not imposed additional fares on its 6,400 odd special buses, private operators are quoting exorbitant rates.
Among the busiest routes is Hyderabad-Vijayawada - with Tirupati, Visakhapatnam, Rajamahendravaram and Nellore also witnessing heavy footfall. Private buses on the Hyderabad-Vijayawada route, typically charge Rs 400 (non-A/C seater), Rs 600 (A/C seater), Rs 700 (non-A/C sleeper) and Rs 870 (A/C sleeper), but have increased the fares to Rs 1,100, Rs 2,500, Rs 3,000; and Rs 5,600 for this weekend.
Fares on the Chennai-Vijayawada route have similarly increased from Rs 1,000- Rs 1,800 to Rs 2,999-4,600 for AC seats and sleeper coaches, respectively. Incredibly, the highest fare of Rs 6,360 is being charged on ticket for an AC sleeper coach with an attached washroom on January 12 on this route. Operators are also charging Rs 3,000- Rs 4,000 for rides between Visakhapatnam and Vijayawada against regular rates of Rs 1,200- Rs 1,800.
“As people embark on journeys to be with their loved ones during this festive season, private bus operators are capitalising on the heightened demand, leaving passengers with limited alternatives," expressed A. Vijay, a native of Vijayawada, echoing the frustration of many affected travellers.
The problem of inflated fares extends beyond the prime routes as well. For instance, the Hyderabad-Nellore fare has doubled from Rs 1,400 (AC seater) and Rs 1,700 (AC sleeper) to Rs 2,000 and Rs 2,300 respectively.
Similarly, Hyderabad-Tirupati operators are charging anywhere between Rs 2,350-3,899 against the regular Rs 1,200-2,000.
Rates for Bengaluru-Tirupati buses now lie between Rs 1,500-3,200 depending on the type of bus. Comparatively, the RTC charges only Rs 632 (AC Seater - Volvo), and Rs 750 (AC sleeper) on this route. This is nearly 65-80 per cent cheaper.
However, private operators continue seeing strong demand given the non-availability of bookings on state-run buses. Tirupati resident M. Ramanjaneyulu shared his experience of seats being sold out weeks in advance on RTC buses while trying to book tickets for his daughter.
“With no other option, we must still go with private operators despite the exponentially higher costs,” he said.
The transport department has announced checks on private operators. Guidelines expect them to charge fares comparable to the RTC or up to 15 per cent more. Excessive overcharging may result in fines of Rs 5,000 upwards. Operators may also face Rs 10,000 in penalties for lack of valid fitness certificates.
