Daijiworld Media Network

Bengaluru, March 25: This weekend marks the twin celebrations of Ugadi and Ramzan, coinciding with the start of summer holidays for children. Naturally, there is a surge in travel as people move between cities and go on vacations. As a result, trains and government buses are witnessing heavy rush.

Taking advantage of this situation, private bus operators have doubled the ticket prices, leading to allegations of overcharging passengers. Those planning to travel to their hometowns for the three-day holiday are facing a shock due to the steep fare hike in private buses.

Representational image

March 29 marks the Amavysa ahead of Ugadi on Saturday, followed by Chandramana Ugadi on Sunday and Ramzan on Monday, effectively granting a three-day holiday. Many people who planned to travel on the night of March 28 (Friday) found government buses and trains fully booked, leaving them with no option but to pay double the price for private bus tickets.

Reacting to these allegations, Nataraj Sharma, president of the Private Bus Owners’ Association, denied claims of doubling ticket prices.

He clarified, "We have increased fares by only 50-60%, not 100%. The state government has not allocated even a single rupee for private bus operators in this year's budget. The ‘Shakti’ scheme has dealt a major blow to private bus owners. Additionally, road tax, insurance, new bus costs, and spare parts prices have all increased significantly. Hence, we had to hike fares during the festival season," he justified.