Like every festival season when people travel to their hometown and on holidays, private bus operators seem to be charging a bomb this Deepavali too. The prices of most tickets have been hiked anywhere in the range of 50% to 100%, industry insiders said. Despite conducting special drives to curb private bus operator’s charging excessive fares during festive season, the Transport Department has failed to provide any relief to the public.
During the ongoing Deepavali season, long-distance bus fares remain unreasonably high, with online booking sites displaying fares exceeding ₹2,000 for Bengaluru–Mangaluru trip and over ₹3,500 for Bengaluru to Hyderabad journeys. Passengers travelling from Bengaluru to Belagavi are being charged up to ₹3,500 per seat, and the fare for the Bengaluru to Mumbai route is around ₹4,000. On various other long-distance routes, fares are twice the usual rates.
However, the Transport Department officials assert that they have been vigilant in monitoring bus operators who overcharge passengers, taking legal action against them. “During our operations, we have filed cases against operators who exploit passengers by charging exorbitant fares. We have consistently instructed them to maintain regular fare rates instead of exploiting the situation. The enforcement team has also penalised operators for violating permit regulations and other offenses,” said an official from the department.
Meanwhile, passengers have expressed their discontent regarding exorbitant ticket prices. Kiran Rao, an employee of a private company, said, “Last week, when I attempted to book a ticket to Gokarna, which is my native, the booking portal showed a fare of ₹2,400 for a specific bus operator, excluding tax. Charging exorbitant fares seems to have become a regular occurrence during festive seasons. Despite officials claiming to take action, it appears to be a pointless effort.”
Ramprasad Kumar, another passenger, said, “I used to pay around ₹1,800 for a sleeper coach journey from Bengaluru to Hyderabad. Now, the fares have more than doubled. Authorities should set a limit on fare increases during the festive season instead of letting operators exploit passengers.”
