CHENNAI: People booking non-AC seater tickets on omni buses from Chennai to various parts of the state this festival season may end up spending at least 20% more than the usual bus fare.
Fares have gone up across all routes and price of a ticket from Chennai to Coimbatore, Udumalaipet and Pollachi is fixed at Rs 1,800 apiece. Bus ticket cost from Chennai to Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi and Kanniyakumari districts will be between Rs 2,300 and Rs 2,500.
The updated fare list can be found on the Tamil Nadu Bus Operators Association website (https://www.toboa.in/). The association has released the list fixing maximum fare price for buses operating on 450 routes within and outside Tamil Nadu.
The omni bus fare from Chennai to Coimbatore is currently at Rs 1,760, which is at least 20% higher than the ticket cost of Chennai-Coimbatore Vande Bharat (Rs 1,365). Fares on the premium intercity express trains from Chennai to cities like Tirunelveli, Nagercoil, Bengaluru, Mysuru and on the Madurai-Bengaluru route is around 20% cheaper than non-AC seater omni buses in Tamil Nadu.
It may be noted that State Express Transport Corporation (SETC) is much cheaper as it charges Rs 600 for a non-AC ticket and Rs 800 for an AC seat on the Chennai-Tirunelveli route. Similarly, for the Chennai-Coimbatore route, SETC fares are Rs 487 for a non-AC seat and Rs 630 for an AC ticket.
Omni bus operators, however, maintain that the cost listed on the website is the maximum fare, and tickets are available at lower cost during off-season.
A Anbalagan, president, All-Omni Bus Owners Association, told TNIE that the listed fares will not be charged all through the year. “For example, during lean days, fares between Chennai and Madurai can be as low as Rs 500 though the fare fixed for the route is Rs 1,690.
He also noted that AC sleeper fares for luxury buses such as Mercedes and Volvo have not been changed. “We have requested the government to take efforts to halt user fee collection at toll plazas on national highways during festival seasons.”
S Jagannathan, a regular commuter from Tirunelveli, said private bus fares between Chennai and cities like Coimbatore and Tirunelveli may go up to Rs 3,000 to Rs 4,000 during extended holidays and festivals, and tickets on Shatabdi and Vande Bharat trains are often sold out. He urged the state government to introduce Volvo buses on key routes like Bengaluru, Coimbatore and Tirunelveli, similar to what Karnataka has done.
With no legal provision for regulating fares, in the wake of rampant complaints of overcharging commuters during festivals, the state government last year instructed operators to set standard fares.
Meanwhile, Transport Minister S S Sivasankar on Thursday met omni bus operators, who agreed not to overcharge passengers during peak seasons. Speaking to reporters, he said complaints of overcharging can be reported to toll-free number 1800 425 6151. He said the government has asked the operators to run 1,000 buses per day for Deepavali.