No respite as omnibus fare cap only on paper

CHENNAI: After the Transport Department cracked the whip on omnibus operators who jacked up ticket fares during Pooja holidays, All Omni Bus Owners Association first threatened strike and then held hectic parleys, and assured that the operators would only charge the fares that the association fixed. But less than a month later, there is no respite for the public ahead of Deepavali.

Disregarding the maximum fare limit that the association fixed for various categories of buses, several operators are charging much higher for tickets on Friday, DT Next has found after a cursory analysis of fares given on a bus ticket-selling portal.

For instance, the fare on non-AC seater buses from Chennai to Coimbatore has been capped at Rs 1,720. However, on the portal, more than 16 buses are selling tickets at Rs 1,749 to Rs 2,499 for the journey on November 10. Similarly, the maximum fare for the non-AC sleeper is Rs 2,090 but more than 18 omnibuses have priced their tickets between Rs 2,399 and 2,999. This situation is the same on all other routes, like Chennai-Madurai for example.

That is, a four-member family will have to shell out Rs 10,000 to Rs 12,000 just for one-way ticket, blowing a massive hole in the middle-class pocket. With almost all train tickets already sold out, the public has little option left other than paying up the high fares.

When asked, All Omni Bus Owners Association president A Anbalagan told DT Next that the association has formed a team to monitor fares. “Whenever we find the operators collecting fares exceeding the maximum fare that the association fixed, we ask them to bring it down,” he said.

The association has also asked the Transport Commissioner to take action against the operators collecting high fares.

A senior Transport Department official said special teams were formed to conduct special checks. “We will take action against the omnibuses collecting exorbitant fares from the passengers than the fares fixed by the association,” the official added.

According to omnibus operators, 1,250 omnibuses would be operated on Thursday (nearly 80 per cent of the tickets booked), while 1,620 buses (82 per cent of seats booked) would be operated on Friday. On Saturday, 1,250 buses (60 per cent of seats booked) would be operated. The State Transport Corporations will start operating special buses from Thursday to Saturday.

All omnibuses would be operated through Outer Ring Road as per the direction of the city traffic police. Only the buses plying through the ECR would be operated through the city.