Hyderabad: Taking advantage of the increased demand for Sankranti, private bus operators are hiring mini-buses that do not have national permits or proper documents to carry passengers to their native places.
According to Road Transport Authority officials, these operators have hired 500 buses in addition to the 900 buses that operate to other states and districts. During the last 10 days, a higher number of buses have been operating to Andhra Pradesh and various parts of Karnataka. Buses to Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada, Rajahmundry, Srikakulam, Bengaluru, and Tirupati are in high demand for the festival.
RTA authorities have been monitoring and inspecting private buses on the Hyderabad-Vijayawada highway for the past two days. Six private buses were detained by the officials for failing to carry the necessary documentation, fire safety and other fitness certificates.
Private agencies have raised the fare far beyond the standard rate and are selling tickets in black, allotting seats at the last minute, said Srinivas Gudiganta, a frequent traveller. Typically, the fare from Hyderabad to Vijayawada is around Rs 1,100, but now it costs between Rs 2,600 and Rs 3,100, said K. Shreya, a city hosteller and a native of Satyanarayanapuram in Vijayawada.
According to RTA sources, officials will also focus on ticket fare pricing, and if travel brokers and private bus operators are found to be selling tickets at excessively high prices, severe action would be taken against them.
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