The Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) will operate special bus services to Alappuzha and Thiruvananthapuram for Onam. Private buses on these routes have been exploiting the festival rush by charging hefty fares. In many cases, passengers cannot secure tickets even after paying the fares. The KSRTC’s action will protect passengers from such exploitation. These special services will benefit travellers, including those arriving from Karnataka, to celebrate Onam in Alappuzha. Those needing tickets for Ernakulam, Cherthala, and Alappuzha for Friday can book online on its website.
Timings and destinations
The buses will depart from Bengaluru’s Shanthinagar bus stand at 4:15 p.m. and 7:15 p.m. on Friday. The 4:15 p.m. bus will reach Thiruvananthapuram by 7:30 a.m. the next day, while the 7:15 p.m. bus will arrive in Alappuzha at 7:30 a.m. the following day. The fare is Rs 2,583, and tickets can be booked via the website m.kstrtc.in. Both routes will deploy the KSRTC’s Airavat Club Class AC semi-sleeper buses. The launch of services followed complaints from Malayalees about the difficulties faced while travelling from Bengaluru to Alappuzha during Onam. The KSRTC will operate around 60 special buses to Kerala on Thursdays and Fridays. The authorities said that the schedules of bus services to Karnataka would be announced later.
