Private bus fares from Pune to Nanded hit Rs 2,000-3,000 during Diwali rush

Crowds of people are travelling to their villages for the Diwali holidays. Even railway tatkal tickets are unavailable, forcing many passengers to depend on private travel operators. Taking advantage of this compulsion, the operators are charging Rs 2,000 to Rs 3,000 per ticket. Passengers feel they are being economically fleeced.

On the Pune-Nanded route, buses halt at a spot beyond Shirur. The eatery there is thronged with passengers. Despite the crowds, the quality of the food is very poor, and passengers have to somehow get through the meal.

Passengers expressed anger that they are charged a hefty sum but do not get even ordinary food in return. They say passengers are packed into the buses like straw. The emphasis appears to be on carrying as many passengers as possible rather than on their numbers, safety on the journey and comforts. Passengers face a triple burden: inflated fares, poor food and an uncomfortable journey. With no other option left, they have to accept the arbitrary fares of private operators. Had special trains been run on the Pune-Nanded route for at least eight days, such crowds would not have turned to private operators.

The Regional Transport Office in Nanded covers four districts. An official named Sali is said to be there, along with a full team of other officials. What these officials do and what their responsibility is, only they would know. Meanwhile, passengers are being fleeced on a large scale.

This burden of fares and economic exploitation could have been avoided. The question before ordinary passengers now is whether to celebrate going home for the festival or to put up with being fleeced and inconvenienced on the way. There is a demand that the railway administration anticipate future rushes and plan special trains, and that the departments concerned look into the arbitrary fares and safety concerns of private passenger transport. The railway administration and the transport department have been told they need to coordinate and take effective steps immediately to spare passengers hardship during the festival.