Bus operators fleecing passengers - TeluguPeople.com News

HYDERABAD: Virtually fishing in troubled waters, private bus operators in Hyderabad are fleecing passengers heading for Seemandhra region for Dasara vacations in the name of 'risk charges' ostensibly to offset the damage likely to be caused to buses during the ongoing agitation against bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh.

As the Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) buses are off the roads due to employees' strike, the private operators are having a field day and are charging up to a whopping Rs 1,000 extra on long trips depending on the demand.

With the arrival of the Dasara holiday season, there is a rush of passengers wanting to visit their native places. But, the private operators are demanding exorbitant charges from passengers as a 'cover' for possible attack from Samaikyandhra agitators.

Usually, the APSRTC collects 50 per cent extra charges from passengers during the peak time of festivals like Dasara and Deepavali. The public transport has been hit in the Seemandhra region due to the strike by RTC employees for the last two months.

The 12,000 odd RTC buses are now confined to the bus depots. This has given an opportunity for private transporters to exploit the demand. The South Central Railway (SCR) has introduced more than 100 special trains to clear the heavy rush of passengers in this festival season.

'We have enormous demand this season and till now we have introduced more than 100 special trains to Seemandhra districts till now,' said a senior official in the SCR.

The impact of strike by the electricity employees was also visible as SCR had cancelled many trains in the Vijayawada-Gudur section, the official added. G Ravi Teja, a student, had to pay Rs 2,300 for Hyderabad to Visakhapatnam ticket for an air conditioned bus.

Usually, the charges would be anywhere around Rs 900 and 1300 but they demanded Rs 1,000 extra stating that in case there is an attack on the buses they would, the extra money will be used as a cover. They promised to return the extra amount if there is no untoward incident, Teja said.

Similarly, Gopal Singh, who booked a ticket to Tirupati to witness the annual Brahmotsavam festival, had to shell out Rs 1,400 for an air conditioned bus. 'With waiting list high, I had no other option but to pay more,' he said.

However, a well-known private bus operator denied reports that they were collecting 'cover charges'. "Several passengers are in fact cancelling their bus tickets,' said Kesineni Travels CEO Ramakrishna and added, 'We have full bookings from October 10 to 13 from Hyderabad and on 14 for return direction.' The contract carriers are the ones who are charging more than double the actual charge, claimed Rama Krishna.

'We are running our buses with a lot of risk and are definitely afraid of attacks,' he said. The AP Bus Operators' Association President Subhash Chandra Bose said the fares were bound to go up in the coming days due to heavy festival rush.

'Profit is one thing, but the attack by Samaikyandhra agitators is a serious possibility that we cannot ignore. We are trying our best to drop the passengers in Seemandhra districts before sunrise,' said Bose.