Private bus fares: Transport dept crackdown from today

Bengaluru: The Transport Department is launching a special enforcement drive on Friday against private bus operators charging exorbitant fares, overloading passengers and transporting goods and explosive substances in violation of their permit conditions.Commissioner for Transport and Road Safety R Selvamani has directed all joint commissioners of transport to act against such vehicles from September 11 to 15.The drive will cover contract carriage buses, AITOBs (All India Tourist Omnibuses), maxicabs, omnibuses and public service vehicles (PSVs), among others.KSRTC to run 2,400 extra buses for Ganesh ChaturthiThe commissioner directed officials to check vehicles, confiscate those violating rules/permit conditions, and collect applicable penalties from them. The details of the action taken during this period should be furnished in a prescribed format by 10 am every day while consolidated details should be sent to the head office on September 16.The department has asked citizens to call 9449863429 and 9449863426 to lodge complaints about exorbitant bus fares.Since Ganesh Chaturthi falls on Monday, it has created a long weekend. Private bus operators have hiked the fares by up to three times for Friday and Saturday and by two times for Sunday.A berth on a Volvo 9600 AC sleeper bus from Bengaluru to Hubballi for Friday is listed for Rs 5,000. Maximum fares from Bengaluru to Mangaluru, Kundapur Hyderabad, Chennai and Kochi for Friday are hovering around Rs 4,000 to Rs 4,999.Passengers were stunned to see fares of Rs 6,999 and Rs 7,999 between Bengaluru and Sirsi.Writing on social media platform X, a user wondered whether the bus had grown wings and become an aircraft.The KSRTC will operate 2,400 extra buses from Bengaluru to various places from September 11 to 13, charging up to 20% more. Most seats have already been filled.The Karnataka State Bus Owners’ Association has justified the high fares, arguing that the Transport Department lacks authority under the Motor Vehicles Act to fine or cancel permits for luxury buses. It also contended that it was “unfair” to compare private bus operators with state-run organisations like the KSRTC.

Source: Deccan Herald