The revision in fare of private luxury buses operating on inter-state routes seems to have dampened the holiday mood of thousands of people who visited their native place for Vishu. All bus operators in the Kozhikode-Bangalore route including the Karnataka Transport Corporation hiked their fares all of a sudden when they witnessed huge demand for tickets.
Every day more than 40 private luxury buses ply in this route and they charge Rs 500-600 per person in non-air conditioned sleeper buses. During the off-season the same comes down to Rs 375-400. The Karnataka Transport Corporation too hiked its fare from Rs 500 to Rs 545 for semi-sleeper buses. The private buses have also increased the ticket fares to Ernakulam from Rs 275 to Rs 350.
The only exception was the Kerala State Transport Corporation (KSRTC) which is currently operating 13 buses in this route. KSRTC charges Rs 355 per seat for deluxe buses plying to Bangalore. It is said the shortage in the number of buses operated by the KSRTC is forcing many to depend on private bus operators. An official of the Regional Transport Office said at present there is no government mechanism to control the hike in fares by private bus operators during the peak seasons.
Source: The Times Of India
