Diwali Fare Hikes: Grahak Panchayat Urges RTO to Control Soaring Bus Prices
Nagpur, India: With Diwali travel demand surging, passengers on popular routes like Pune, Nashik, and Hyderabad are now paying triple the usual fare, with tickets priced around Rs 3,000 instead of the typical Rs 1,000. This steep increase has left travelers burdened by significantly higher costs for holiday travel.
Leaders of the Grahak Panchayat Maharashtra, such as Shyamkant Patrikar and Leeladhar Lohre, have urged the RTO to step in and curb these excessive fare hikes. Currently, tickets from Nagpur to Pune are priced between Rs 760 and Rs 1,000, but these fares are anticipated to soar to Rs 3,300 to Rs 4,000 after Diwali.
The transport department, led by Transport Commissioner Vivek Bhimanwar, has begun enforcing fare restrictions from October 21 to November 9 to control price surges. Meanwhile, passengers are frustrated as the complaint hotlines, set up in 2018 to address such issues, are reportedly inactive and unresponsive.
Grahak Panchayat Maharashtra President Shyamkant Patrikar, Provincial Secretary Leeladhar Lohre, and Nitin Mukewar from Pradesh Pravasi Mahasangh are urging the RTO to take prompt action. Mukewar highlighted the necessity of government intervention to address these issues.
Grahak Panchayat Maharashtra is calling for the reactivation of helpline numbers to address complaints about overcharging, as the existing lines have gone inactive. They emphasize that these helplines should operate 24/7 to assist travelers facing inflated fares.
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