BENGALURU: Every festival season, private bus fares are revised sharply upward. This time too, private bus operators have given a shock to those who left for their hometowns for the Gowri-Ganesha festival, with ticket fares seeing a huge increase than last year.
Whether it is festivals or weekends, private bus fares keep increasing. Though the Transport department has warned of action in this regard, the fare hike is not being controlled. For the Gowri-Ganesh festival, those who left for their hometowns have seen their pockets burn as the fares have increased by 100 per cent than last time.
Amidst RTO instruction not to increase fares arbitrarily, private buses have increased fare. Capitalising on large number of people travelling to their hometowns for the Ganesha festival, they are fleecing passengers by increasing fare. Ticket fares which were Rs 500-700 last time, has increased to Rs 3,500-4,000 now. Bus travel has become as costly as flight fares, and passengers are worried about the situation.
On other hand, the private transport federation says that against the backdrop of the increase in tax including diesel, maintenance, spare parts, there is no other option but to hike fares. The federation has also vented its anger against the transport department warning and has warned of a legal battle if buses are stopped and action is taken regarding the fare hike.
Nataraj Sharma, the president of the private transporters federation said, “The governments themselves are pushing us towards hiking fares. From the time of Covid-19, we have been seeking a reduction in the road tax, but it has not been done. The Shakti free travel scheme for women is affecting private bus operators. The operators have to fend for the families of bus crews, but the government is not extending any sort of aid”.
Further, he said, “Compared to last year, the price of diesel has gone up by Rs 18 per litre. Annually, tolls are increased by 10 per cent and the cost of spares have also risen. For survival, private operators have to increase fares on weekends and festivals and we have increased fares by 100 per cent. At the fare fixation committee, we had asked the government to fix minimum and maximum fares, but that has not been done. The private transport sector is a milching cow for the government”.
Though Transport department has warned of action, private bus owners have taken a stand that they are not willing to listen and the tussle between both has brought only trouble for passengers.
