RailEnquiry

Loading..

Rising mercury, mounting fare, swelling passengers by Mafia on 27 May, 2013 - 06:00 AM
avatar Mafia Rising mercury, mounting fare, swelling passengers on 27 May, 2013 - 06:00 AM

Unmindful of the rising mercury levels, people are travelling in droves to different destinations this holiday season.For the last fortnight, bus and railway stations in the city have been chock-a-block with passengers, forcing the railways and APSRTC to operate special services to meet the summer rush.The RTC is operating over 200 special buses from Mahatma Gandhi Bus Station (MGBS) everyday, while the South Central Railway (SCR) is running 70 special trains. Buses and trains heading towards Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam, coastal towns, Kurnool, Karimnagar and Nizamabad and packed to the brim are a common sight these days.

Destinations

This apart, 3,400 regular buses are being operated to various destinations from MGBS everyday.Despite the authorities charging 50 per cent extra fare in these special buses, passengers have no complaints.“The 200 special buses that are being operated are registering high seat occupancy ratio. We were apprehensive about the bookings but MGBS is packed every day,” said a senior RTC official. Nearly 1.20 lakh passengers travel everyday from MGBS and the number has increased considerably in the last few days.Initially, the authorities had decided to operate the special buses till May 27 but given the demand, the services have been extended till May 31.

Apart from operating 70 special trains, the SCR authorities have launched Janata Express, a first-of-its-kind service with all general coaches, to accommodate more passengers from Hyderabad towards Kakinada. “In the next few days, we will study the rush in other sectors and operate similar services,” said a SCR spokesperson.

The waiting list for sleeper class tickets in regular trains like Godavari stands at 415 for the next few days.

Meanwhile, private bus operators are also making a killing this season.

Despite some of the operators charging 25 per cent extra fare in buses heading towards Vijayawada, Rajahmundry and other areas, people are willing to pay, pointed out H.S.C. Bose, president of Private Bus Operators Association.