MADURAI: Despite warnings from the state transport department against overcharging, several private omni bus operators have allegedly doubled their ticket prices ahead of the Pongal festival, with fares touching a maximum of Rs 4,500 for AC sleeper seats along the Chennai-Madurai route.
To prevent exploitation, All Omni Bus Owners Association (AOBA) and Tamil Nadu Omni Bus Owners Association (TOBOA) have fixed maximum fares for various categories -- non-AC seater, non-AC sleeper, AC seater, AC sleeper, premium seater, and premium sleeper -- with caps like Rs 2,560 for a premium sleeper berth along the Madurai-Chennai route.
However, as of Tuesday, several private buses along the said route have been charging up to Rs 3,500 per ticket. Speaking to TNIE, S Haritharan, a Madurai native working in Chennai, said some private operators were charging Rs 3,500 for AC sleeper tickets on online platforms.
“If we go directly to the bus stand without prior booking, they even demand Rs 4,500 for the same. For visiting my hometown during the festival, I have no option but to pay whatever they ask,” he said. Several passengers have alleged that the operators have been taking undue advantage of the festive rush.
AOBA president A Anbalagan said around 5,000 private buses are operating across the state. They have 320 members operating about 3,800 buses.
“A few members are collecting exorbitant fares. The bus fare from Chennai to Kochi is Rs 3,300, but the same amount is being charged for the much shorter Chennai-Tiruchy route. Even today, we received eight complaints, and we made the operators refund the excess amount collected,” he said, adding that passengers could file complaints over the phone on 044-42870117 or email complaints to allomnibusowners@gmail.com, and necessary steps would be taken to initiate refunding them the excess amount.
When contacted, TOBOA president A Afzal told TNIE, “Around 200 members, including interstate operators, are part of the association. If passengers are charged exorbitant fares, they can reach out to us for complaints over the phone on 98403-50066 or info@toboa.in.” He added that omni bus operators, similar to airlines, follow a dynamic pricing strategy, which involves real-time adjustments of fares based on demand and seasonality.
Madurai zone Joint Transport Commissioner K Chandrasekar told TNIE that the department has announced specific contact numbers for each zone. “Madurai, Dindigul, and Theni passengers can lodge complaints on 90953-66394. So far, the department has not received any complaint,” he added.