TIRUCHY: Thanks to the efforts made by the Election Commission towards the cause of achieving 100 percent turnout for the state assembly polls, many enthusiastic voters, particularly the youth, have been trying to reach their native place since last Friday to exercise their franchise in the elections on Monday.
As a majority of them, particularly private sector employees, must report to duty on the very next day of the poll and there is heavy rush to book tickets, most private bus operators have hiked the fares up to Rs 1,000 per seat for plying between Chennai and Tiruchy. Meanwhile, the State Express Transport Corporation (SETC) authorities, in a bid to manage the situation, have planned to operate more number of buses based on demand.
Tiruchy being at the hear of the state, no buses, heading north or south, would pass through without touching the city. Tiruchy also serves as a transit point for commuters from the neighbouring districts.
P Josephine (26), a native of Thiruvanaikoil and an IT employee in Chennai, reached here on Saturday.
However, she is struggling to get a seat booked to travel back to Chennai as all private mofussil buses have suddenly raised their fares by around Rs 1,000 owing to the high demand. “I always prefer private buses for my travel for a comfortable journey and I usually pay around Rs 300 to Rs 350. I could get an onward ticket to Tiruchy easily but have not been able to get a return ticket by any bus, even if I am willing to pay well above the usual fare,” she said.
Many commuters have planned their travel well in advance. Return tickets from Tiruchy to Chennai for Monday and Tuesday nights are already full, said a staff of Parveen Travels. “Even the additional buses that have been allotted are full for these two dates,” he added. “We have planned to operate 150 additional buses on Monday night if required to ease the extra rush,” said a senior official of the SETC.