MANGALURU: With only less than a month to go for the Assembly elections, KSRTC buses from Bengaluru to Mangaluru are already flooded with bookings and have 35 per cent of their seats booked.
Around 1,023 of the 2,925 seats from the 65 KSRTC buses including AC and Non-AC Sleepers, Rajahamsa, Airavat, club class from Bengaluru to Mangaluru are already booked.
The election effect cannot be ruled out, although holidays are round the corner, Divisional controller of KSRTC Mangaluru, Deepak Kumar told TNIE. People who book tickets for holidays usually do it 48 hours ahead of travel during the non-season period and during peak season they book it 15 days prior to their travel schedule, he added. However, bookings for May 11 have begun much in advance, indicating a purposeful visit, much contrary to the accusations that voters are laid back .
Locals trying to come down for elections expressed difficulty in booking tickets in private buses from Bengaluru to Mangaluru as well. “We had to settle for a sleeper as there were no seater tickets,” said Ashwin, booked tickets for his family to come down to Mangaluru to vote.
Meanwhile, the waiting list for sleeper class in the two popular trains from Bengaluru to Mangaluru is close to a 100. While 16511 KANNUR EXP has a waiting list of 88 for May 11, on Sunday, 16513 KARWAR EXP showed 115 passengers waitlisted. Three-tier and two-tier AC tickets too are booked to capacity.
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