Bus fares skyrocket ahead of Easter weekend; Kerala, Andhra routes most affected

Bengaluru: Bus fares have shot through the roof ahead of the long weekend for Good Friday and Easter, with private bus ticket prices to Kerala and Andhra Pradesh nearly doubling compared to off-season rates.

Many operators and drivers noted that the high fares are likely to continue through the week. The festive weekend, combined with summer holidays, has triggered a surge in interstate travel — driving prices up further.

Bookings usually begin a couple of months in advance. 

“I was afraid I would not be able to go home this time because I had not booked earlier. But luckily, I managed to get a last-minute ticket,” said Mariam John, who is travelling to Kerala for the holidays.

E-bookings sometimes offer discounts, but often end up costing around Rs 250 more due to added platform charges and 18% GST, a travel agency operator at the Kalasipalya bus station said.

“During Christmas last year, fares shot up to Rs 5,000 per person. It is not that high this Easter, with rates staying below Rs 4,000. But, it is still expensive,” said another agency worker at Madiwala.

Fares are expected to remain high until the end of the Easter weekend. While there may be a slight dip after Sunday, April and May are typically packed travel months. “Rates will not go below Rs 1,000 anytime soon,” said a bus driver at Kalasipalya.

Routes to Kerala have seen the steepest rise in fares, with prices for cities like Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram more than doubling in some cases. Similar fare hikes have been reported on the Andhra Pradesh and Goa routes, while Tamil Nadu-bound buses have seen only marginal increases.

Ticket prices also vary by the bus type and demand. “In some cases, rates are adjusted based on how quickly the bus is filling up,” a bus operator explained.

On the Bengaluru–Kochi route, AC buses are Rs 600–Rs 800 more expensive than non-AC options. A similar price gap is seen on the Bengaluru–Hyderabad route, while the Bengaluru–Chennai route shows a smaller difference. The widest price gap— up to Rs 1,300 — is observed on the Bengaluru–Goa route.

Average pvt bus fares from Bengaluru

Kerala
• Off-season: Rs 1,100-Rs 1,200
• Current: Rs 2,000-Rs 3,000

Andhra Pradesh
• Off-season: Below or around Rs 1,000
• Current: Rs 2,000 and above

Tamil Nadu
• Off-season: Rs 900-Rs 1,000
• Current: Rs 1,000-Rs 1,100

Goa
• Off-season: Rs 600-Rs 700
• Current: Rs 1,500