- UP CM Yogi Adityanath accuses Cong, SP of 'opposing' education, promoting nepotism
- Pitroda wishes PM Modi good health, says completing 25 years is ‘accomplishment in its own way’ (IANS Exclusive)
- CM Adhikari credits BSF-police coordination for curbing border crimes in Bengal
- SC seeks ECI response on Rahul Gandhi’s plea against SIR, flags conduct of one petitioner
- India’s ethanol supplies reach 987 crore litres by Sep end: Report
- BJP to finalise Bengal civic poll candidates by Diwali; adopts multi-tier screening, eyes professionals
- India’s pharmaceutical market posts strongest monthly growth in three years
- Reliance Digital’s #PROHappy campaign cuts iPhone 17 Pro price to Rs 56,990
Omni bus owners deny fare hike during festival season
In Short
Addressing a press conference at the Koyambedu Omni Bus Terminus here, association secretary D Maran asserted that ticket prices have remained strictly unchanged since 2023, despite fluctuations in diesel prices.
Share :
Omni bus owners deny fare hike during festival season
Chennai: The All Omni Bus Owners Association on Thursday denied allegations of exorbitant fare hikes during the ongoing festival season, attributing the inflated prices shown online to aggressive competition among ticketing aggregators.
Addressing a press conference at the Koyambedu Omni Bus Terminus here, association secretary D Maran asserted that ticket prices have remained strictly unchanged since 2023, despite fluctuations in diesel prices.
“E-commerce companies are aggressively competing to expand their online trade volume from Rs 100 crore to Rs 1,000 crore and even Rs 10,000 crore. Because they are competing at this speed, operators like us are getting a very bad name,” he said.
When confronted by reporters regarding private tracking applications displaying fares as high as Rs 4,500 to Rs 5,000 for routes such as Chennai to Udangudi (Thoothukudi district), he categorically dismissed them as “dummy charts.”
He challenged the media and public to proceed to the final payment stage to verify if a seat could actually be booked at those inflated figures. Maran urged journalists to download their official fare charts and monitor the prices during peak travel dates, specifically the 23rd through October 26, to confirm that standard rates are being maintained.
Furthermore, the association issued an appeal to the Tamil Nadu government to stop Regional Transport Officers (RTOs) from intercepting and levying taxes on out-of-state buses entering Tamil Nadu to clear the festival rush.
He highlighted that over 1,200 Tamil Nadu-registered omni buses operate in neighbouring states like Karnataka and Kerala without facing harassment or sudden taxation. He requested reciprocal leniency for inter-state buses arriving from Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Kerala to accommodate the surge in festival passengers.
The association confirmed that a formal representation requesting a halt to this inter-state tax collection during the festival days has been submitted to the Home Secretary, the State Transport Minister, and the Transport Commissioner.
