CHENNAI: After the state transport department cracked the whip on private bus operators charging exorbitant fares during holidays and weekends, ticket fares on most of the popular online booking platforms such Abhi Bus, RedBus, and MakeMyTrip have dropped drastically over the past few days. During a special drive carried out by Regional Transport Offices against Omni buses regarding collection of high ticket fares on Thursday and Friday, 102 buses were detained and Rs 27 lakh fine was imposed on them, sources said.
On Sunday, the price of tickets to Chennai from Tirunelveli, Coimbatore, Madurai, and other western and southern districts dropped to Rs 1,300 to Rs 2,500 range from the usual Rs 2,000 to Rs 4,000 per-ticket rate. On an average, 65,000 passengers travel in Omni buses during festivals and holidays per day across TN. Ticket fare for AC sleeper berths in Mercedes-Benz and multi-axle Volvo buses too fell to Rs 2,500 from the usual range of Rs 3,500 to Rs 4,000 after the crackdown, sources said.
Till now, the transport department has consistently turned a blind eye to the issue of excess fare collection by bus operators, contending that there are no legal provisions to regulate fares of private buses. It has been the common refrain of officials that they would take action only based on specific complaints from travellers.
A senior transport official said, “There are legal and practical difficulties involved in capping the ticket fare of Omni buses. Amendments to the Central Motor Vehicle (MV) Act and state MV rules are necessary,” he said.
‘Transport department should not penalise buses that adhere to norms’
“The concerns of bus industry, too, must be taken into account before determining the fare,” the officer said. According to sources, about five lakh commuters travelled by government and private buses since Thursday in TN. “A total of 3.1 lakh commuters travelled by government-owned SETC and TNSTC buses on Friday and Saturday,” said a statement from the SETC.
Regular bus commuters said during school holidays last month, bus fares from Coimbatore to Chennai soared to Rs. 4,200 per ticket for AC sleeper berths. S Sivaraja, a regular passenger, said, “Despite extended holiday for Ayutha Pooja and Vijayadashami, ticket fare for return journey from Coimbatore to Chennai on Monday and Tuesday remained within Rs. 1,300 to `2,000 range. This has never happened before.”
S Rahul, a bus enthusiast from Salem, said, “Despite collection of higher fares online for several years, officials did not act. Government should explore the possibility of a permanent solution by regulating these fares, considering the high demand for interstate travel.”
Anbalagan, president of All Omni Bus Owners and Operators Association, denied the charge. “The detention of 102 buses has caused huge inconvenience to 4,000 commuters. RTOs have been given a target to penalise buses. We are serving 50,000 to 65,000 commuters a day. The transport department should not disturb buses that adhere to rules. We have petitioned the CM seeking his intervention on the issue.”