Daijiworld Media Network – Udupi (MS)

Udupi, Oct 27: As Deepavali approaches, private bus fares have skyrocketed, with prices for the Bengaluru to Mangaluru route jumping from Rs 1,000 to between Rs 1,500 and ?2,000. This price hike is fuelling a rush for advance ticket bookings as operators take advantage of the festive season.

With the railway department's special Deepavali trains already sold out, travellers are left with private buses charging exorbitant online rates. Passengers have reported discrepancies between advertised prices and final booking costs; a ticket priced at Rs 1,000 from Udupi to Bengaluru can suddenly increase by Rs 400 to Rs 700 due to additional taxes.

Current fares for private buses range from Rs 1,500 to Rs 4,000 for journeys between October 30 and November 3, with many late-night buses already fully booked.

Mahesh M, a software professional, noted the overwhelming demand for these services.

To meet this surge in demand, private bus operators plan to add extra buses, but these will also be priced at double the usual rates. Travellers are also facing additional charges for luggage.

In contrast, KSRTC bus fares between Mangaluru and Bengaluru remain stable, with only a 20% increase for additional services, according to a senior KSRTC official. So far, 18 extra buses have been deployed, including routes from Udupi and Kundapura.

Udupi RTO L P Nayak commented, “As contract carriage buses, there’s no fixed fare set by the RTO. However, they cannot excessively raise prices during peak demand. We will take action if complaints are received.”

Sudha Krishnamurthy, PRO of Konkan Railway, added, “An additional train has been introduced alongside the usual Murudeshwara-Mysuru-Bengaluru and Karwar-Bengaluru services to accommodate Deepavali travellers. Ticket bookings have begun, with the train set to depart from Bengaluru on October 30.”