The Newz Radar
MANDI: During the Christmas holidays, Volvo bus fares between Delhi and popular Himachal Pradesh tourist destinations Manali and Shimla have experienced a significant surge, leaving commuters both astonished and with limited options.
Private bus operators, capitalising on the festive season, have hiked their fares on these routes, with some charging up to Rs 3,900 per seat for the travel from Delhi to Manali, which is almost four times higher than the normal fare.
The government-run Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) too is grappling with a surge in demand during the holiday season, resulting in bus tickets on key routes, such as Delhi to Manali and Delhi to Shimla, being “sold out” online. This situation has allowed private operators to exploit the high demand by setting fares at their discretion.
“On regular days, the standard fare for a seat between Delhi and Manali is in the range of Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,200. However, with the rise in demand, online rates have suddenly jumped four times, significantly limiting options for commuters. Similarly, the usual fare between Delhi and Shimla ranges from Rs 600 to Rs 700 per seat. But the tickets in private Volvo buses are now selling three times higher at Rs 1,811 to Rs 2,144,” said Ahana Kanwar, who was looking to travel from Delhi to Shimla.
A perusal of Red Bus, an online booking platform, reveals rates as high as Rs 3,350, Rs 3,399 and Rs 3,149 for a single seat from Delhi to Manali. Even when attempting to select the lowest displayed price on the website, users are immediately redirected to higher rates, ranging from Rs 2,410 to Rs 3,342.
Even on MakeMyTrip, rates are displayed at Rs 2,549 and Rs 2,949 per seat. Private players have now adopted flexi-fares, similar to railways and airlines, adjusting rates and services according to demand and supply. While the high-end rates may not significantly impact tourists, they are undoubtedly putting a strain on the pockets of those heading home for holidays, business trips and medical emergencies.
Prabodh Anand, whose daughter and son-in-law were heading home from Delhi for a short family reunion, had to spend Rs 5,000 on fare on the Delhi-Mandi trip, something that typically costs not more than Rs 2,000.
Amrit Pal Singh, a 23-year-old who managed to get a three-day leave from work, lamented, “Since I got the leave at the last minute, I eagerly checked the ticket fare on Red Bus, a common site for booking Volvo buses from anywhere in India, and was shocked to see the fare of Rs 2,800. I had no choice and booked it with a heavy heart.”
Shyam Saran, a local businessman from Kullu, argued that the state government should act in the interest of passengers. “I don’t understand why the state is not fixing fares for private bus operators. The RTO should instruct bus operators to prominently display the fare chart at various destinations,” he said.
Private bus operators, however, justify the hike. “We have very few days to earn as our off-season lasts for over 200 days in a year. If we raise rates for a few specific days, what is the harm? We also have families to feed, and it is a matter of demand and supply,” said Rajesh Sood, who owns a fleet of Volvo buses in Kullu. He lamented that they had to pay Rs 5,000 per day for taxes, tolls, entry fees and green taxes, in addition to diesel, salaries for drivers and conductors and maintenance charges. He questioned why cab service providers like Ola and Uber could charge rates of their choice between 9 am and 11 am and also between 4 pm and 6 pm in the name of “rush hours”, and why they could do the same.
