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Exorbitant amount charged for bus ticket for this Pongal festival, commuters feel the heat
Posted on: 13/Jan/2021 9:18:43 AM
The Pongal festival has started in TN and the bus tickets have increased alarmingly now!!
In normal circumstances, the bus ticket from Chennai to Madurai in a non a/c bus would be from Rs 600 to Rs 700. This is the Pongal festival season and it has increased the bus fares and the bus ticket fare from Chennai to Madurai is now Rs 800 to Rs 1999. Shocking right!!
On the same route, the cost of a/c sleeper bus tickets was up to Rs 2150. Those who are going to places like Thiruchendur, Tirunrelveli, Nagercoil, Kannaiyakumari and Thoothikudi would be surprised to know that the bus ticket rate has peaked up to Rs 1100 to Rs 2500. It is now said that the passengers going to southern districts in TN were worst affected by this steep rise in the prices of bus tickets.
An amount of Rs 1100 to Rs 1800 has been changed for the ticket fares on routes like Chennai to Coimbatore, Chennai to Trichy, Chennai to Tanjore, Chennai to Karur and Chennai to Mayialduthurai etc . It was later brought out by a person belonging to Nagercoil that normally he would travel by train to his native in Nagercoil from Chennai and this time around due to limited train services he could not get the ticket. He opted to go to his native by bus and paid Rs 2300 for an a/c sleeper seat.
Omni bus operators blamed travel agencies for fleecing commuters and did not agree to the increase in the bus ticket fares in the festival seasons. They were of the view that only smaller bus service transporters over charge whereas omni bus operators do not change excess amounts.
As per an office bearer belonging to Omnibus Owners Association it was clear that the profit margin of bus operation has come down drastically in the Covid-19 pandemic. Passengers could complain regarding the excess fares collected by the private buses. This was said by an officer belonging to the transport department. He threw light on the 24 hour control room and about the special teams to act on such complaints. He concluded that the passengers could register their complaint on the toll free number 18004256151.As of Tuesday at 4pm, 1.91 lakhs of commuters travelled on 4140 buses operated by the state transport undertakings for the Pongal festival. It is known that the TN government had arranged 10228 buses from Chennai to various places.
