Like every festive season, private bus operators continue to fleece passengers by charging exorbitant fares for long distance travellers.
For example, on Saturday, ticket prices ranged from ₹1,500 to ₹1,700 for travelling from Bengaluru to Mangaluru, while to Hyderabad, the fare was up to ₹2,500 to ₹2,700, whereas the Bengaluru to Belagavi price touched ₹3,500.
A few days ago, the Transport Minister and department officials had warned of taking stern action against private operators if they charged hefty fares. Officials of the department said that drives have been carried across the State against private bus operators charging exorbitant fares.