Pvt bus operators make hay amid Diwali rush

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: The festival of lights have punched hole in the pockets of those aspiring to celebrate Diwali at their hometowns with their near and dear ones. Private bus operators have jacked up the fares, as both KSRTC buses and trains have been fully booked during Diwali.

These operators are charging Rs 5,000 for a ticket from Bengaluru to Hubballi. In a Twitter thread by Hubballi-Dharwad Infra, screenshots were shared comparing bus and flight charges between the two cities. This drew angry reactions f rom Neti zens, wit h ma ny calling it ‘absurd’.

Some even tagged the Transport Minister and Chief Minister to bring it to their notice. Many claimed this sort of rapacious pricing by private bus operators has been an annual feature during festivals, but the government has done little to curb the menace.

The threat read, “Bus fares in between Bangalore and Hubballi giving a tough competition to f lights And @SWRRLY is yet to notify special trains for Deepavali @sriramulubjjp sir for your information! #Hubballi #Bengaluru #Deepavali #DeepavaliSpecial.”

As per sources, the government of Karnataka is operating 1,500 special buses during the Diwali celebrations to clear the rush. These buses ply from Kempegowda Bus Station (KBS) to Dharmasthala, Davangree, Horanadu, Belagavi, Hubball, Dharwad, Gokarna, Vijayapura, Karwar, Raichur, Kalaburagi, Sirsi, Ballari, Bidar and Koppala.

However, this is proving to be inadequate, and those who could not get a confirmed ticket in these government-run buses are now at the mercy of private bus operators. During the the Gowri-Ganesha festival in August this year, State Transport Minister B Sriramulu had told the private bus operators not to collect excess fares and warned that penal action will be taken against the owners.

But gauging the current price trends, the minister’s warning seems to have done little to deter the unscrupulous private bus operators.