Pvt bus fare to Coimbatore ₹2,800

Pvt bus fare to Coimbatore ₹2,800

Flying Would Cost Just ₹400 More & Save Travel Time

Ram.Sundaram@timesgroup.com

Chennai:12.10.2021

This festive week, you can travel from Chennai to Coimbatore by air instead of private buses which collect almost the same fare.

Kyros Connects, a private operator, is charging ₹2,800 per head to travel between the two cities on Wednesday in an airconditioned (semi-sleeper) bus. The average fare collected by premium travel agencies along this route for A/C sleeper buses too is ₹2,500 Instead, you can fly to Coimbatore by paying another ₹400 extra. Air India is charging ₹3,100 (including tax, etc.) for a one-way trip along the route on the same day. IndiGo collects ₹3,400 per head.

Commuters say it would take at least 10 hours to reach Coimbatore by road. “This could get worse if there is traffic congestion near toll plazas. Besides this, there is always a risk of road accidents on highway stretches because of the extra rush during such festive occasions,” said V Sudarshan, who preferred a flight over bus to travel to his home in Coimbatore for the pooja holidays.

Despite warnings and promises, nothing has changed when it comes to fleecing of private bus passengers during a festive season in Chennai. Ahead of the extended weekend, most private bus operators have again doubled the fares. Official data shows that around 1,500 private buses are to be operated among various cities in the state for the pooja holidays. “Violations are happening right under the nose of the government officials and they choose to remain silent,” said Sudarshan.

Aggregators like Redbus and Abhibus have publicly announced the exorbitant rates. Asked about this, R S Rajakannapan, state transport minister, simply replied that ‘stringent’ action would be taken against those who collect excess fare. A team consisting of officials of the transport department and police officers would inspect, seize and penalise violators. Members of the public can call 044-24749002 or 18004256165 in case of complaints.

On their part, private bus operators have reiterated that they have faced huge losses during the Covid-triggered lockdown and that they can compensate for it only by collecting a slightly higher fare during festival seasons and weekends.