Traveling to Kerala for Onam! Bus fares skyrocket, limited seat availability

Kozhikode: As Onam approaches, many Malayalis are facing difficulties getting home due to steep fare increase on bus services. Both inter-state and KSRTC buses have raised their prices steeply, taking advantage of the high demand for travel to Kerala during the festive season.

For instance, the fare for AC sleeper buses from Bengaluru to Kozhikode, which normally costs around Rs 1600, has surged to over Rs 3500 for Onam. Similarly, fares for KSRTC's seater buses have jumped from over Rs 400 to more than Rs 500. Semi-sleeper bus fares have also risen, with prices increasing up to Rs 700 making the fare Rs 1060.

KSRTC has raised fares from September 11 to September 14, the day before Thiruvonam (Uthradam). The fare for a KSRTC Garuda bus from Bengaluru to Ernakulam has increased by Rs 500. The fare for a KSRTC Non-AC Super Deluxe Special Service has gone up by Rs 300, and no tickets are available from September 10 to 15. The Karnataka RTC’s Bengaluru-Kochi Airavat bus fares have also increased by Rs 800.

Although authorities do take action against private bus fare hikes for breaching permit conditions, these measures have not been very effective. Generally, Karnataka buses offer lower rates but have fewer services available.

Private bus companies are taking advantage of the situation, as train travel is nearly impossible during Onam. They are capitalising on the Onam rush by inflating prices under the guise of ‘Onam special services.’ Even if one tries to book tickets two months in advance, seats are often unavailable. Companies anticipate the Onam rush and initially show only a few seats as available in the booking sites, reserving the rest for higher prices leading up to Onam. This is to provide seats to those in need at double the regular price.

In response to the heavy passenger flow, KSRTC has introduced special services, including chain services and additional fast and superfast buses, to ease the pressure on regular routes.