Coming home for Deepavali has become a costly affair
The Hindu
Festival season bus ticket prices surge, despite fixed fares, causing passengers to pay extra for popular routes.
When boarding a bus during festival seasons at the right time is the first challenge thing for any passenger planning his travel from a major city, and getting a ticket t an affordable price is the next.
Especially during times like Deepavali, though Omni Bus Owners Association, together with the State government, comes up with a fixed fare table for all intra State bus routes, individual bus owners continue to demand extra charges from the passengers.
Capitalising on increasing demand for seats, omni bus operators collect over and above the regular fare. People also, in their anxiety to ensure a hassle-free journey, give in to their demands.
A passenger, Vikram, who tried to book an omni bus ticket from Chennai to Madurai for next week, was shocked by the fare displayed on the website. While the association-fixed fare for Chennai - Madurai sector on an A/C seater was ₹1,920, the fare the website displayed was ₹3,000. “When I have to pay ₹1,000 more than the fixed fare, then what is the purpose of having a fixed fare table and releasing it,” he questioned.
He also lodged a complaint with the transport officials, but he said the fare was still the same even after two days.
Other passengers who waited at M.G.R bus stand at Mattuthavani on Sunday evening shared similar experiences - that the website displayed exorbitant fare for advance booking. A. Nagalingam, who did not want to book online, visited one of the transport offices and booked a ticket for his son who was to travel from Madurai to Chennai on Sunday after Deepavali.
“Physical ticket booking is still costlier but not as high as online fare. Here we could at least negotiate with the transporter,” he said.
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