Private bus rates increased ahead of Sankranti in Telangana, Andhra

 As travel demand increases ahead of the Sankranti festival, passengers heading to their hometowns in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh are facing steep increases in private bus fares on major interstate routes.

Despite regulations requiring fares to be same as TGSRTC bus services, several private operators are reportedly charging multiple times the normal rates.

It is learnt that routes connecting Hyderabad with cities such as Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada, Kurnool and



Rajahmundry have seen the sharpest hikes. 

Tickets that usually cost between Rs 1,000 and Rs 2,000 on AC services have climbed between Rs 4,000 and Rs 5,000 and even more, during the peak travel window, which typically falls between January 10 and 15.

It is said that the steep increase in air fare and non-availability or long waiting list for seats in trains too is forcing travellers to choose private operators to reach their native places during the festival time.