Sankranti rush pushes private bus fares to new highs

Tirupati: The Sankranti holiday rush has become an expensive journey for thousands of passengers, as private bus fares have risen sharply on major routes. Many travellers heading home for the harvest festival say they have little option but to pay high prices, with trains fully booked, long waiting lists, and limited affordable alternatives.

In the absence of strict fare controls, private bus operators appear to have capitalised on the seasonal demand. Industry sources say private bus ticket prices are currently about 70 per cent higher than those of the State-run RTC. On normal days, the difference is usually around 10 per cent.

With the festival triggering a large movement of people from cities to towns and villages, private operators have scheduled thousands of additional services to meet the rush. As long-distance train tickets were sold out weeks in advance, many last-minute travellers have been pushed towards buses, allowing operators to raise fares on high-demand routes.

Routes to Tirupati have been among the worst affected. Passengers travelling between Tirupati and Hyderabad are paying between Rs 2,000 and Rs 2,400 for AC sleeper buses, compared to the usual Rs 1,100 to Rs 1,500. On Bengaluru–Tirupati route, fares have touched Rs 3,000. A software professional said he had to pay nearly double the normal fare after failing to get a train ticket.

A similar situation is seen on Chennai–Tirupati route, where private bus fares range from Rs 500 to over Rs 1,000 depending on the coach type, while RTC services on the same route cost less than Rs 300. Despite the higher fares, most buses are running nearly full due to limited train and government bus availability.

The busy Hyderabad–Vijayawada corridor has also witnessed steep hikes. Non-AC seater tickets have gone up to around Rs 1,300, AC seaters to nearly Rs 2,000, and AC sleeper fares have climbed to as high as Rs 4,000 on peak days, several times their usual rates.

Airfares have also surged, with tickets from Tirupati to Hyderabad crossing Rs 9,000. Taking advantage of the situation, private bus operators are using dynamic pricing, with fares increasing as demand rises.

Meanwhile, transport department officials said enforcement teams are monitoring private bus operations during the festive season. They warned that action would be taken against operators charging more than permitted fares or running services without valid permits and fitness certificates. Until then, many travellers continue to bear the heavy cost of returning home for Sankranti.