Holiday travel pushes up private bus fares in Bengaluru

Festive rush in Bengaluru as Ugadi and Ramzan coincide, leading to packed bus stations, hiked fares, and extra services.

With the festivals of Ugadi and Ramzan coinciding this weekend, bus stations and railway terminals across Bengaluru were packed with passengers heading to their hometowns or vacation destinations.

Amidst the rush, private bus operators significantly hiked fares, drawing criticism from passengers. Many travellers were taken aback by the steep rise in ticket prices, with some alleging that fares had doubled overnight.

While Ugadi falls on Sunday, Ramzan is on Monday. As a result, thousands of commuters who planned to leave on the night of March 28 found trains and government buses fully booked, forcing them to opt for costly private bus tickets.

“I usually travel to Shivamogga by bus, paying around ₹600 for a ticket. But today, I was charged ₹1,200 for the same journey. The sudden increase is unfair,” said Rajesh Kumar, a software professional traveling from Bengaluru.

Similarly, Sneha Krishna Rao, a college student heading to Mangaluru, lamented, “I checked fares online a few days ago, and it was ₹ 800. But when I booked today, it had shot up to ₹ 1,400. We don’t have any other option but to pay. The government should take action on such issues.”

However, private bus operators defended the fare hikes, citing operational costs. Nataraj Sharma, president of the Private Bus Owners’ Association, dismissed claims of fares doubling. “We have not increased prices so much. The Shakti scheme has impacted private bus operators. Additionally, road tax, insurance, and the rising cost of spare parts have all added to our financial burden. We had no choice but to increase fares during peak travel periods, but not as much as claimed,” he said.

In response to the growing demand, the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation announced the deployment of 2,000 additional buses from March 28 to March 31 to accommodate festive travellers. These extra services will operate from Bengaluru to key destinations, including Dharmasthala, Kukkesubramanya, Shivamogga, Hassan, Mangaluru, Kundapura, Sringeri, Horanadu, Davangere, Hubbali, Dharwad, Belagavi, Vijayapura, Gokarna, Sirsi, Karwar, Raichur, Kalaburagi, Ballari, Koppal, Yadgir, Bidar, Tirupati, Vijayawada, and Hyderabad.