CHENNAI: Omni bus fares will come down by 25%-30% compared to peak holiday fares collected last month as owners agreed to slash fares after a meeting with the transport minister on Saturday. They also agreed not to revise fares at the last minute and also upload the fares online.
“We will post the fare list for each route on our website and there will be no last-minute fare revisions. We received assurance that buses will not be needlessly stopped or intercepted,” said A Anbalagan, president, All Omni Bus Owners Association.
According to official sources, the association has agreed to set the maximum fare limit for each route, putting an end to the excessive fares charges during festival seasons. The maximum fare for Chennai - Coimbatore route has been capped at Rs 2,870 for an AC sleeper berth, which was Rs 4,000 last month during the extended holidays. Similarly, the maximum fare for the Chennai - Tirunelveli route is Rs 2,790 for an AC sleeper berth (it was Rs 3,500-Rs 4,000 last month)
After facing the severe criticism from commuters for letting omni buses overcharge travellers during festivals and extended holidays, the transport department had asked omni bus owners to disclose the maximum fare for each route before Deepavali and Pongal festivals. Omni buses carry an average of 65,000 to 70,000 commuters a day during peak seasons.
While the state transport corporations claim to operate more than 16,000 buses during festive seasons, it is not enough to meet the rising demands. According to official data, during Ayudha Puja and Vijayadashami holidays, SETC and TNSTC buses carried about 1.5 lakh commuters per day, while omni buses served around 65,000 commuters.
The fleet strength of SETC and TNSTC has reduced by 15-20% in recent years as suspension of 1,600 buses older than 15 years has impacted it. SETC, which serves long-distance routes, used to operate 1,100 buses a day, but currently runs about 700-750 buses.
According to a transport official, “About 35,000 commuters can depart from the CMBT per day. However, Chennai’s transportation demand is high. Even if an additional 400 buses are added for long-distance routes, the demand for omni buses will remain high.” He added that a section of commuters choose to travel on omni buses for the added comfort.