BENGALURU: Banking on the rush of commuters to popular destinations around Bengaluru owing to Deepavali, several private bus operators have hiked prices to popular destinations around Bengaluru.
Prices of tickets from Bengaluru to Mangaluru, Chikkamagalur and Madikeri operated by various travels, show a steep increase from their usual prices.
For example, prices for buses to Mangaluru on Tuesday (Nov 6) — the first day of Deepavali — range from Rs 900 to Rs 1,300.However, prices for buses on November 19, about two weeks later, range from Rs 550 to Rs 700 — almost half of Tuesday’s prices.
The overcharging is against the norms set by Transport Department. The Regional Transport Office (RTO) began to crack down on such buses from November 2. Additional Transport Commissioner (Enforcement, South) CP Narayana Swamy said in enforcement drives conducted at various key points across the city, a total of 495 private buses were booked in three days from Nov 2 to Nov 4.
Vacation causes jams across city
Several areas of the city witnessed massive traffic jams on Monday night as people headed out of town to celebrate Deepavali