HYDERABAD: As the Sankranti festival approaches, travelling to and from various destinations in the Telugu states has led to a surge in ticket fares. Passengers are experiencing a noticeable increase in transportation costs, especially on popular routes. Currently, private buses plying on the Hyderabad-Vijayawada route are charging up to Rs 1,800 per person, with certain services even breaching Rs 2,000. On normal days, tickets for this route start from Rs 500.
A non-AC trip to Visakhapatnam from Hyderabad on January 12, the beginning of the Sankranti weekend, starts from Rs 2,749. The fares of certain AC services scheduled on the same day have touched Rs 6,000. Commenting on the rising demand, a senior Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TSRTC) official said that the corporation was fully prepared. “Our teams at Mahatma Gandhi Bus Station (MGBS), Jubilee Bus Station, L B Nagar, Uppal and other places are geared up,” he said.
As per the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) website, all 25 trains operating to Vijayawada on January 12 are fully booked, with a Sleeper class waiting list touching 400. Waiting for a TSRTC bus to Bhadradri Kothagudem from Hyderabad on Thursday, Sarita told TNIE, “Since I booked my ticket a week ago, I got to travel at a reasonable price”.
The same can be said about the 11 trains plying to Visakhapatnam on January 12. The Vande Bharat Express, scheduled to depart at 3 pm from Secunderabad, has a waiting list of 247. The Sankranti festival rush could be seen at MGBS on Thursday, with scores of passengers pouring in and out of RTC buses.