<p>With elections round the corner, bookings on KSRTC and private buses two days prior to the voting day and days following it are seeing a significant increase. Data accessed by <span class="italic">DH </span>from the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) showed a rise of close to 40% in bookings for May 9, a day before the elections.</p>.<p>KSRTC has received close to 1,317 advance bookings for May 9 night. For any other weekday, the number hovers anywhere between 800 and 900, officials told <span class="italic">DH</span>. </p>.<p>Senior KSRTC officials added that post-Covid, advance bookings have gone down and they expect more people to turn up close to the polling date. </p>.<p>Private bus operators also acknowledged a rise in bookings and as a result, fares have gone up sharply. Some private operators have increased fares by as much as 50%. "There has been a drastic increase in bookings and many buses are getting full soon. For instance, a non-AC sleeper class from Bengaluru to Mangaluru costs close to Rs 750 on weekdays. This has now increased to nearly Rs 1,150 owing to demand," a private bus operator said. </p>.<p>Yet another travel operator said bookings to Kundapura, Mangaluru, Shivamogga, and Sringeri were high. He added that the demand for travel on May 8 was also picking up. </p>.<p>A few political parties make bulk bookings on KSRTC and private buses to ferry voters to their constituencies. "We book at least a month in advance to make sure voters reach the polling booth. This usually happens in districts and sometimes in urban areas where voters live some distance away from polling booths," a source, who makes such bookings said. </p>.<p>A few techies and private firm employees have urged their managements to provide an extra day work-from-home option to make their travel less tiring.</p>.<p>"We will have to travel two nights straight to be in office after voting. Hence, many of us are requesting work from home for a day or two," said Sapna K, a native of Dakshina Kannada and an employee with a private firm in Electronics City. </p>
<p>With elections round the corner, bookings on KSRTC and private buses two days prior to the voting day and days following it are seeing a significant increase. Data accessed by <span class="italic">DH </span>from the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) showed a rise of close to 40% in bookings for May 9, a day before the elections.</p>.<p>KSRTC has received close to 1,317 advance bookings for May 9 night. For any other weekday, the number hovers anywhere between 800 and 900, officials told <span class="italic">DH</span>. </p>.<p>Senior KSRTC officials added that post-Covid, advance bookings have gone down and they expect more people to turn up close to the polling date. </p>.<p>Private bus operators also acknowledged a rise in bookings and as a result, fares have gone up sharply. Some private operators have increased fares by as much as 50%. "There has been a drastic increase in bookings and many buses are getting full soon. For instance, a non-AC sleeper class from Bengaluru to Mangaluru costs close to Rs 750 on weekdays. This has now increased to nearly Rs 1,150 owing to demand," a private bus operator said. </p>.<p>Yet another travel operator said bookings to Kundapura, Mangaluru, Shivamogga, and Sringeri were high. He added that the demand for travel on May 8 was also picking up. </p>.<p>A few political parties make bulk bookings on KSRTC and private buses to ferry voters to their constituencies. "We book at least a month in advance to make sure voters reach the polling booth. This usually happens in districts and sometimes in urban areas where voters live some distance away from polling booths," a source, who makes such bookings said. </p>.<p>A few techies and private firm employees have urged their managements to provide an extra day work-from-home option to make their travel less tiring.</p>.<p>"We will have to travel two nights straight to be in office after voting. Hence, many of us are requesting work from home for a day or two," said Sapna K, a native of Dakshina Kannada and an employee with a private firm in Electronics City. </p>
