Sankranti Holidays: Private Travels Charging ₹5,000+ Per Ticket

Hyderabad: With the Sankranti festival approaching, travelers heading from Hyderabad to various rural areas are facing an unwelcome shock—exorbitant fare hikes by private travel operators. Despite this surge in ticket prices being a clear violation of regulations, authorities from the transport department appear to be turning a blind eye, leaving passengers frustrated and helpless.

During this busy festive period, private travel operators are charging two to three times the regular fares of state-run RTC buses, putting a significant strain on travelers' wallets. For families traveling from Hyderabad to Visakhapatnam, ticket prices have soared to between ₹15,000 and ₹20,000. Routes to cities such as Vijayawada, Guntur, Tirupati, Palakollu, Bhimavaram, Narsapur, and Rajahmundry are seeing fare increases ranging from ₹2,000 to ₹3,000. Many passengers have expressed their dissatisfaction with the sudden hike.

For instance, tickets that once cost ₹1,000 to ₹1,200 are now exceeding ₹3,000. In particular, travelers heading to Bhimavaram are now paying between ₹3,000 and ₹4,000, while those heading to Rajahmundry face charges of ₹3,500 to ₹4,000. When passengers raise concerns about the fare hikes, operators are dismissing their complaints, citing the hike as "normal" for the festive season. This response has only fueled further anger among the traveling public.

As the authorities continue to remain silent on the issue, passengers are left questioning the lack of regulation and accountability in the private travel sector, especially during a time when many rely on travel to reunite with family for the festival.

Also read: Sankranti Holidays: Private Bus Operators Triple Fares Across Telangana and AP