Onam is that time of the year when Keralites, wherever they are, try to reach their home state to partake in the celebration. Unfortunately, this is also when travel operators—including airlines and private bus operators—try to squeeze the money out of travellers desperate to get home. Making a killing ahead of the festival, these operators have hiked the fares as there is no regulatory mechanism. Indian Railways, on its part, had announced six special trains anticipating the Onam rush. However, these got entirely booked in just days, resulting in thousands of Malayalees from other states running from pillar to post for a reserved ticket.
The Centre refuses to intervene in the issue of exorbitant airfares for travel to Kerala ahead of the festival, saying that dynamic pricing is in place and that the travellers have to book in advance. It has not responded favourably to the state’s request for arranging chartered flights from the Gulf, where there is a sizeable population of Malayalee expats. With all Kerala-bound trains fully booked, interstate buses are the only option left for most. Since state governments allow private bus operators to apply surge charges as per demand and supply, ticket prices have risen steadily since the beginning of August. Ticket prices of buses coming from Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Chennai are seeing a steep rise, with some operators charging triple the normal fare. While the Bengaluru–Ernakulam fares would usually cost Rs 1,800, prices have jumped to Rs 5,000 now.
This predicament is a tale that gets repeated every year. One solution for the travel woes of Malayalees is that the state governments concerned coordinate efforts aimed at having a regulatory mechanism which fixes the ticket prices for private bus fares. Another solution could be to ply more state-operated buses in this period just to handle the rush, which the Karnataka and Kerala governments have already done. But more needs to be done on that front, it seems. Similarly, more special trains for the season can help thousands get to Kerala in time for the celebration. Chartered flights, as proposed by the Kerala government, could also be a boon for the Gulf expats. Onam is a celebration of nostalgia for Keralites and carries an emotion which connects every Malayalee beyond caste, creed and religion. The authorities concerned must see that nobody is allowed to exploit that emotion for profit.