With demand high now, bus fares spike

Private operators are making a killing, almost doubling their fares this Christmas season

Private operators have almost doubled their fares for the Christmas holiday season. The hike on KSRTC bus fares ranges from 20 to 50 per cent.

KSRTC has pressed into service about 100 additional buses to Kochi, Panaji, Hyderabad, Trichy and Chennai, and added 550 buses to destinations within the state.

Metrolife survey found out that
fares

Metrolife called up many private bus operators to get an idea the rates this festive season. Kallada Travels charges Rs 1,900 for a day bus and Rs 2,400 for a night bus from Bengaluru to Kochi. This is a Rs 1,000 hike on regular fares.

The fare to Hyderabad on a semi-sleeper bus is Rs 1,500 and on a sleeper Rs 1,794.

KPN fares are cheaper. “The sleeper fare to Kochi is Rs 1,000, to Hyderabad on a multi-axle bus sleeper is Rs 1,680 and semi-sleeper is Rs 1,365. The fare to Chennai is Rs 800,” a man at the KPN ticket counter said.

Airline spikes

Flights have become expensive, too. The fares to Chennai, Hyderabad, Delhi and Hyderabad have gone up by at least 30 to 40 per cent.

“A ticket to Chennai costs nothing less than Rs 10,000. A 7 am flight to Mumbai on any festival day costs Rs 9,800 and a similar flight to Delhi costs Rs 20,000. Hyderabad is the least expensive at Rs 8,000. No tickets are available to Goa but a 6.30 am flight costs you Rs 23,000,” said an airline insider.

The cash-strapped airlines see in the holiday season an opportunity to cash in on the demand, he says.

Special trains

There are special trains for Christmas from Yeshwanthpur to Tiruchirappalli and Krishnarajapuram to Kachiguda.

“Fares are higher on all special trains. But our normal fares remain untouched. We don’t tamper with the rates,” said a senior officer with the South Western Railway.

KSRTC fares

After a 20 per cent seasonal spike:

Panaji Rs 1,240
Kochi Rs 1,360
Hyderabad Rs 1,110
Pune 1,610
Some destinations with the most holiday season traffic.

Up to 50 per cent more

It is normal to hike fares during the holiday season, according to KSRTC officials.

A senior divisional controller says, “There’s a 20 per cent hike in the fares and a 50 per cent hike in fares on additional buses.”

Explaining the rationale, he says, “The prices are hiked because the buses return almost empty and we have to cover the diesel cost.”