Bengaluru: Bus ticket fare skyrockets this Christmas season

Bengaluru: As the Christmas season begins, bus ticket fares have skyrocketed, leaving passengers who want to go to their hometowns and on tour, distressed.

Reports suggest that although the bus fares have seemingly increased, there is no confirmation of additional bus facilities arranged by the Karnataka Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC).

Due to this, the fear among passengers has yet again risen like that of during the Diwali season, where travel agencies ‘loot’ money in the name of bus fare.

On December 25, the ticket fare for the Bengaluru-Hubbali premium class bus is Rs. 8,000 and Bengaluru-Ernakulam is Rs. 7,000. The same rate applies on January 1, on a return ticket.

According to the ticket fare list of premium buses, the rates are as follows: Bengaluru to Goa – Rs. 7,000, Bengaluru to Mangaluru – Rs. 3,500, Bengaluru to Mysuru – Rs. 5,000, and Bengaluru to Madikeri – Rs. 1,600.

It can be noted that even though State Transport Minister B Sriramulu had warned the bus companies of stringent action if charged more than usual in a meeting, the bus owners seem to have no fear.

Meanwhile, a KSRTC official has said that there is no hike in ticket rates of KSRTC.

“The difficulty is arranging inter-state special buses and increasing their numbers. Even if we increase them, it will be subject to a breach of the inter-state agreement. However, around 300 special buses have been arranged within the state to meet the need of the Christmas season”, he added.