Bus fares jacked up for weekend

Fares on some routes more than airfare

Bus fares from Hyderabad to parts of AP have skyrocketed on Thursday, eve of the long weekend. Some tickets are going at `3,000.

Even APSRTC buses were completely booked and additional buses had to be added to cope with the demand. Private operators also jacked up fares on routes to Hyderabad from Chennai and Bengaluru.

With May Day falling on Friday, Saturday being a holiday for many, followed by Sunday, demand for seats from the city to destinations in AP, Chennai and Bengaluru has increased manifold.

Availability on these routes in buses came down drastically as demand went up. Private operators also increased fares owing to the high demand. Passengers, mostly techies, were left distraught.

Strangely, the most expensive bus ticket to Visakhapatnam on Thursday was `2,999. The air fare on the same route, if booked in advance, is `1,889.

A ticket to Bengaluru was going at `3,500 and above on Thursday. A ticket booked in advance would cost `1,800. Private operators say that the newly imposed tax between AP and TS has also contributed to the hike. Air fares are subject to market competition but are monitored by the DGCA. Bus fares have no monitoring.

“If someone doesn’t anticipate and plan their journey in advance, it is hard to travel. Very few tickets are available and their prices are also changing as each seat is booked,” Raam Tanuku, a passenger said.