Bengaluru: It is that time of the year when hundreds of Keralites return home to celebrate Vishu and Easter. And nobody is happier than the operators of buses plying between Bengaluru and various destinations in Kerala.
Private bus operators have jacked up ticket rates to cash in on the festival rush on April 12 and 13.
A ticket in an A/C multi-axle bus to Thiruvananthapuram costs anywhere between Rs 2,800 and Rs 2,900, while those who travel to Ernakulam or Kottayam may have to shell out Rs 2,750 to Rs 2,850.
Bus ticket charges to Kozhikode have been more than doubled to as much as Rs 2,700. An A/C multi-axle bus ride costs only around Rs 1,200 on leaner days.
Even non-A/C bus rides to Kerala cost between Rs 850 and Rs 1,100 on the eve of the festivals.
The state transport corporations of Kerala and Karnataka have almost sold out tickets in buses towards Kerala for April 12. The Kerala State Road Transport Corporation is only left with a few tickets for its “superfast” buses towards the Malabar region.
The Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation has started offering tickets for four special buses to Ernakulam and Kottayam.
In contrast, the Kerala corporation is yet to announce its special services. The corporation has cheaper rates than those of the Karnataka corporation and the private operators but the practice of waiting until the last moment to announce special services is not helping anyone.
The Kerala SRTC charges Rs 1,408 to Thiruvananthapuram and Rs 1,111 to Ernakulam as per the current flexi rates. Its Karnataka counterpart charges Rs 1,139 to Kochi.