Click it and Unblock the Notifications
Interstate bus fares to Thiruvananthapuram have increased sharply ahead of Onam as thousands of people are travelling to Kerala to celebrate the festival with their families. With many trains unavailable on convenient dates and flight tickets becoming expensive, private buses have become an important option for passengers travelling from major cities.
Thiruvananthapuram Interstate Buses for Onam
The biggest increase has been reported for passengers travelling from cities such as Chennai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad. For travel to Thiruvananthapuram on August 24, a day before Onam, one-way bus fares have risen by as much as Rs 4,000 compared with normal prices.
Interstate Bus Fares
Tickets from Chennai and Bengaluru to Thiruvananthapuram are currently available in the range of Rs 2,700 to Rs 5,000. Passengers travelling from Hyderabad are also facing high prices, with fares reaching around Rs 4,000 to Rs 5,000 on the limited private buses operating on the route that day.
Travelers' Concerns
Regular travellers say private bus operators increase ticket prices when demand rises during major festivals. Onam creates particularly high demand because many Malayalis working in cities outside Kerala try to return home during the holiday period.
For people working in private companies, travelling several days early is often difficult because they cannot take long leave. As a result, many have no choice but to book tickets close to the festival, even when fares are much higher.
One Bengaluru-based passenger said that he can usually plan his journey only one or two days before the festival. He reportedly spends around Rs 10,000 for his family's bus journey to Thiruvananthapuram during holiday periods.
The Railways has introduced special trains to handle the Onam rush, but many of these services do not run at convenient times for passengers, leading travellers to go for buses. Airfares are also expensive for those making last-minute plans.
As Onam approaches, passengers are therefore facing limited travel choices and higher costs while trying to reach Thiruvananthapuram in time for the festival.