Now Reading: Private omni bus fares surge fourfold ahead of Deepavali
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Private omni bus fares surge fourfold ahead of Deepavali
The Story in Brief
Private omni bus operators have sharply increased ticket fares on inter-district routes ahead of Deepavali, with some fares rising nearly fourfold despite warnings from the State government. Deepavali falls on Sunday (8 November) and Monday (2 November) was declared a government holiday, leading to a surge in demand as people travel to their native places.
Tickets on routes connecting Tiruchi with Chennai, Madurai, Tirunelveli and southern districts have risen substantially. Fares that typically hover around ₹700 on normal days have climbed to around ₹2,000 for non-AC sleeper services and ₹4,000 for AC services. On one platform, Chennai-Tiruchi tickets on Friday (6 November) were priced between ₹1,500 and ₹2,000 for non-AC buses and ₹2,500 to ₹3,200 for AC sleeper services.
The State Transport Department is operating 15,659 buses from Chennai between 5 and 7 November to manage the festive rush. However, strong demand for government buses and steep private fares have left many travellers struggling to find affordable seats. A large number of passengers thronged the Panjapur Integrated Bus Terminus in Tiruchi on Friday.
Indian Opinion Analysis
The fare surge hits passengers who rely on private buses because government buses run to capacity. The source quotes a private operator blaming rising fuel costs and falling patronage, but does not examine whether the fourfold increase exceeds the rise in operating costs. The next step is to watch whether the State government enforces its warning against excessive pricing, which the source says it issued but does not report as acted upon.
Source: thehindu.com
This brief was synthesised by AI from the source linked above. Methodology and corrections.
