Christmas travel an expensive affair this year: Airfare, bus ticket details

Bengaluru: The private bus fare from Bengaluru to Kerala has increased to Rs 6000, making it difficult for Malayalis to reach home during Christmas. AC sleeper buses charge up to Rs 6000 to Ernakulam on December 20. Meanwhile, Rs 4000 to Kottayam, Rs 4700 to Thiruvananthapuram, Rs 2700 to Kozhikode and Rs 2500 to Kannur. The airfares to Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram range between Rs 16,000 and Rs 17000.

The tickets for the nonstop night bus services to Kozhikode on December 20 have skyrocketed to Rs 8500 – 11,300 and Rs 8500 – 9500 to Kannur. Meanwhile, Bengaluru-based Keralites still hope that the railways will allow special trains on December 20, 21, 22 and 23, when it will be extremely busy. The tickets on the regular trains on this route were completely booked months ago on these days.

Although the Bayyappanahalli – Thiruvananthapuram North weekly special express service has been extended up to January 29, the train starts at 12.45 pm on Wednesdays, which is not suitable for the passengers. The tickets for the KSRTC buses from Chennai to Ernakulam on the days preceding Christmas, too, are soon selling out. All the bus tickets scheduled on December 20 and 21 are completely sold out.

People depend on buses as train tickets are already sold out and special services haven’t been announced yet. The SWIFT Garuda AC seater bus that starts every night at 8.30 pm from Kalimbakkam Terminus reaches Ernakulam South bus stand at 10 next morning. This bus has stops at Oorappakkam near Chennai, Guduvancheri, SRM University, Maraimalai Nagar and Singaperumal Kovil. In Kerala, the stops are at Palakkad, Thrissur, Chalakkudy, Angamali and Vytila Hub. The ticket costs Rs 1740.