Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru
Mangaluru, May 4: Even as the elections are round the corner, bus fares have been hiked by the private operators. Commuters are complaining about how they could go about exercising their franchise given this hike in bus fares.
Summer vacations and elections have increased vehicular movement. People living in the coastal districts are largely dependent on private buses. A large number of people use the private bus services between Mangaluru and Udupi more than the government transporter.
To cash in on the huge crowds that commute between the coastal cities and to make a quick buck, private bus operators have arbitrarily hiked the fares. In the past too, private bus operators had hiked fares during festival seasons such as Deepavali, Eid, Christmas and Dasara when the owners wished to make a good profit.
Bus fares have been raised on Mangaluru-Bengaluru, Mangaluru-Mysuru, Mangaluru-Hubballi routes.
Passengers will have to cough up more than the double fares as elections approach. Passengers are forced to pay more than Rs 1,000 when they travel in ordinary non-sleeper and AC sleeper buses.
Private bus operators have already effected an rise in fares for passengers undertaking journeys three days prior to the polling date. The new fares are already reflected in online reservations that have opened for bookings.
Bus fares specifically from Mangaluru to Bengaluru, Mysuru and Hubballi have been raised substantially. Tickets from Bengaluru and Mangaluru on some of the buses which were sold for about Rs 1,000 are now being sold for more than Rs 2,500.
Online bookings invite additional charges such as GST, service charge, convenience fee and other miscellaneous levies.
On the other hand, KSRTC has not hiked the bus fares. Fares for those who travel in Airavata, AC, non-AC, Rajahamsa continue to remain the same. As elections are approaching it is unlikely that the government will effect a hike in bus fares, KSRTC officials say. They also say that only if additional buses are pressed into service ahead of the elections, the KSRTC may be forced to hike the bus fares by about 10%.
In view of the private bus operators hiking the fares ahead of the elections, people living in Bengaluru, Mysuru and Hubballi are forced to think twice about making that trip to Mangaluru to cast their votes.
Passengers have urged the officials of Election Commission of India to take cognisance of the arbitrary bus fare hike effected by the private operators ahead of the polls which will act as a deterrent for the electorate to cast their votes.