Train Shortages and Costly Buses Strain Travel for Keralites

Quick Summary

• Keralites working in Tamil Nadu adn Karnataka face challenges returning home for Onam due to high transportation costs and insufficient reserved seating on trains.
• Ticket fares for luxury buses between Kerala and neighboring States have surged, wiht inter-State buses from cities like Bengaluru reportedly charging exorbitant rates.
• Many passengers are resorting to pool vehicles or flights due to the lack of train services and inflated bus fares, worsening road congestion in Kerala’s National Highway corridors.
• passengers are calling for government intervention to improve transportation options during festivals by increasing special train services and enhancing KSRTC’s fleet of sleeper buses for routes such as Bengaluru and Chennai.
• Opinions from stakeholders:

– P. Krishnakumar (Thrissur Railway Passengers’ Association): More special trains should be operated during the festival season, along with infrastructural improvements like additional tracks at Ernakulam station.
– Manoj Padikkal (Inter State Bus Operators Confederation): Higher bus fares reflect efforts to balance taxes levied by multiple States despite operators already paying substantial central taxes.
– transport officials rebutted claims made by bus operators regarding overlapping impositions of central permit fees vs. state-level motor vehicle taxation.

Indian Opinion Analysis

The recurring issues around Onam travel highlight the strain India’s infrastructure faces during peak holiday seasons. The demand-supply gap in railways, coupled with unaffordable bus pricing, underscores inefficiencies that directly affect festive mobility-a culturally significant aspect in India. While temporary solutions like pool vehicles put extra pressure on congested highways, relying solely on private carriers risks further alienating middle-class commuters who cannot afford excessive fare hikes.

The call for increased government intervention seems valid but challenging under existing fiscal constraints at both state and federal levels. Policies addressing festival travel spikes need more proactive long-term planning rather than reactive annual measures-such as, strategic investments into railway infrastructure expansion or better regulation of inter-State ticket pricing mechanisms.

Passenger reports point toward a delicate balancing act between operational economics for transport providers and affordability concerns among consumers-a gap that cries out for transparent regulatory oversight across public-private transport sectors.

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