Private buses.
Credit: DH Photo.
Ganesha Chaturthi this year falls on September 18, making it a long weekend — the perfect opportunity to travel outside the city. This surge in outstation travel has led to a hike in private bus fares.
Although private buses are usually more expensive than government buses, this festive season the prices have shot up by 30-135 per cent. A one-way trip from Bengaluru to Kodaikanal will cost you between Rs 2,400 and Rs 3,500 in private buses while the fare on regular weekends ranges from Rs 1,800 to Rs 2,500. Bus tickets to Hyderabad have risen to Rs 4,000 from Rs 1,699 on weekdays.
S Nataraj Sharma, president of the Federation of Karnataka State Private Transport Associations, says that this is a mechanism to meet the high demands of the festival season. “When the demand is high, the prices will also increase. Plus, you also have to keep in mind the amenities you get in a private bus. And don’t forget the road tax,” he says. Private companies pay approximately Rs 40,000 road tax in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, he claims.
K R Sachidananda, the owner of Greenline Travels, says that during the festival season the buses are completely occupied. On the other days there are only about eight or nine passengers per bus. “The only way to recover losses is to raise the prices when the demand is high,” he explains.
KSRTC too has released special buses for Ganesha Chathurti weekend at a slightly higher price by about 15 per cent to 30 per cent across routes. Metrolife tried contacting KSRTC, but they were not available for comment.