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Bengaluru: Situation of transport non-availability has left the Keralites in Bengaluru in quite a lurch as those thousands of people plan to travel back home for Onam festivities to begin from August 31. The Indian Railways has disappointed the travelers by announcing just one weekend special train. Taking a road trip via buses is also not an option as the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) too has not equipped itself to cater to the whopping demand, despite arraying new long-distance buses under KSRTC-Swift earlier this year, reported The Hindu.
Taking advantage of the situation, private buses, that have become the only option for travelers now, have tripled their per person fare to around ₹4,500. Travelers have been left at the mercy of travel companies that operate approximately 300 private buses. The fare is expected to rise higher to even ₹5,000 as the Onam festival nears. As a result, many people have dropped plans to travel to Kerala for the festive season, reported The Hindu.
Narrating her recent ordeal with a private bus operator running services to Thiruvananthapuram from Bengaluru, Devi Biju, a lawyer based in the IT hub told The Hindu that many operators delay or do not refund the ticket fare, even if the cancellations are made well in advance. “They make a fortune selling the same seat to others. A few popular online travel portals are hand in glove with this. I lost ₹2,000 recently and would shortly send a legal notice to the firms, seeking a refund.”
“The best alternative is to operate more trains and buses on the route. It is a pity that only a single special train has been announced so far, while KSRTC is dragging its feet. That the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) website is terribly slow, is yet another woe,” she added.
Commuters, many of whom were forced to drive the entire route in cars, have been demanding that the government also step in to rein in private bus operators and fix an upper slab on the fare.
The Hindu reported that there is potential to operate more trains in the Bengaluru route, since the Sir M. Visveswaraya Terminal station has been developed in the city. “Commuters could book well in advance so that special trains can be operated when the waiting list exceeds 240. On their part, both Southern Railway and South-Western Railway must agree to accommodate more trains in the sector,” The Hindu quoted sources.
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