Private bus fares surge by 20-50% as demand soars ahead of Navaratri and Dasara in B’luru

NT Bengaluru: With the Navaratri and Dasara festive season approaching, along with a long weekend, the demand for bus services in Bengaluru has surged. Many residents are planning trips to their hometowns or popular tourist destinations, leading to a significant rise in the need for transportation. The Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) has seen a sharp increase in bookings, particularly for popular routes such as Mysuru, Hubballi, Dharwad, Hunsur, Piriyapatna, Virajpet, Kushalanagar, Madikeri and so on. Prices for private buses have reportedly surged by 20-50 per cent, particularly on routes to major intrastate destinations like Chennai, Hyderabad and Goa. This sharp increase is causing concern among commuters. Some have opted for alternat ive modes of transport, while others are delaying their trips due to the unaffordable fare hike.

Ticket rates have been raised by Rs 500 to Rs 1,500 depending on the demand. The fare increase has sparked frustration, with many travellers urging authorities to step in and regulate the rising prices. Despite these concerns, private operators continue to capitalise on the travel rush, banking on the high demand during the holiday season. Speaking to News Trail, a private bus operator explained, "This is a common practice during the festive season. We accommodate the increased demand by adding extra buses and slightly adjusting the fares. The fare hike is kept at a reasonable level to ensure we don't burden our customers, while still covering the costs associated with the additional services."Speaking to News Trail, a representative from KSRTC said that they will introduce special buses to operate from Bengaluru Kempegowda Bus Station to popular destinations and the details of the buses will be announced soon.

As per previous KSRTC trends, these popular destinations include Dharmastala, Kukke subramanya, Shivamogga, Hassan, Mangaluru, Kundapura, Shringeri, Horanadu, Davangere, Hubbali, Dharwad, Belagavi , Vijayapura, Gokarna, Sirsi, Karwar, Raichur, Kalaburagi, Ballari, Koppala, Yadgir, Bidar, Chennai, Tirupathi, Vijayawada, Hyderabad and other places. Despite this, the overwhelming demand has created an opportunity for private bus operators, who have responded by hiking fares significantly