Exorbitant fares, fully booked trains, and surge pricing make travelling to Kerala a costly affair during the festive.
Private bus operators in Kerala will be operating 70 buses on Bengaluru-Kerala route. (Supplied)
For Malayalis the world over, this is that time of the year when “all distances point to home”. However. not many would make it home on time to celebrate Onam, Kerala’s official festival.
Celebrated with gusto, Onam carries an emotion that transcends caste, creed, and religious barriers, binding all Malayalis together — like the famous Onam song, “Maanushyarellaarum onnu pole“.
However, exorbitant travel fares are creating a divide — people who make it home, and those who cannot.
As the finale of the vibrant festival of Onam draws near, Keralites around the country are eagerly planning their journey back to their home state to partake in the joyous celebrations.
But this heartwarming tradition is marred by travel woes year after year as private players and lack of government initiatives lead to inflated prices, draining wallets.
The exorbitant fares charged by airlines, and private bus operators, and the scarcity of train tickets have become an unfortunate annual reality.
Soaring airfares, fully booked trains, and inflated bus ticket rates often discourage Keralites from travelling home for the harvest festival.
The Onam festivities began with the Athachamayam procession on 20 August. Home-bound Keralites typically reach the state well before Thiruvonam which falls on 29 August.
According to online booking sites, flights to Kerala have seen a surge in ticket fares. A one-way economy ticket fare in routes like Bengaluru-Kochi, which normally costs around ₹2,800, has shot up to ₹6,691 during this Onam season.
Similarly, the fare on Chennai-Kochi flights, which normally cost around ₹3,700 a ticket, has soared to ₹8,791. Travellers find themselves caught in a bind, as these steep fares can significantly strain their budgets.
The Indian Railways has taken the initiative to clear the Onam rush by operating special trains to Kerala from various parts of the county. Southern Railways alone has announced three additional services from Chennai and Bengaluru throughout the week.
However, it is too little. Seats on these trains were fully booked within days, leaving thousands of Malayalis scrambling for tickets. The situation has caused widespread disappointment, and many are left with no choice but to explore alternative travel options, like carpooling.
Youngsters are even considering hitting the road on their two-wheelers. As John Denver sings, “Country roads, take me home,” would be the only guiding force.
Meanwhile, private bus operators are making hay while the sun is shining — and rather harshly, as the Southwest Monsoon has done a disappearing act.
State governments’ allowing surge charges has led to a steady increase in bus ticket prices since the beginning of August. Passengers opting for private buses from cities like Bengaluru and Chennai to Kerala are feeling the pinch.
For instance, the standard fare of around ₹1,450 on the Chennai-Kochi route has surged to a whopping ₹4,500. Similarly, the return journey, too, would be a costly affair.
The ₹1,800 Bengaluru-Ernakulam fare on a normal AC sleeper bus has gone up to ₹4,000. Government services are few compared to private lines as only eight buses ply on average on the festival weekend starting on 25 August, a majority of them being non-AC seater buses. They, too, are already fully booked.
While benefiting private operators, these skyrocketing prices are undoubtedly burning a hole in the pockets of those seeking to return home for the cherished Onam festivities.
“The best way back home to Kerala is by private bus from Bengaluru. Government buses are not well maintained and are very few. They don’t have stops at major points in the city. Trains take more time and tickets are sold off months before,” Renin K Robert, an Architecture student doing his internship at Indiranagar in Bengaluru, said.
“The private bus rates are too costly to afford for spending three days at home. I’ll be spending my entire stipend on travel,” he told South First.
“I usually travel by train and would have even opted for a special train back home. The demand for tickets is too high as most students are rushing back to Kerala on 25 August to make use of the extra holiday. I am hoping for a Tatkal ticket since private bus fares are unthinkable,” Krishna Prasad, who works with an accounting firm in Chennai, said.
“If I can’t get a Tatkal ticket, I will be missing Onam this time,” he rued.
As the predicament of exploitative fares and travel woes plague Malayalis every year, one potential solution lies in coordinating the efforts with other state governments to implement a regulatory mechanism that fixes ticket prices for private bus operators.
Additionally, the introduction of more special trains during the festival season could alleviate the pressure, ensuring more people can reach Kerala in time for the festival.
The Onam festival is still a time of equality, unity, and nostalgia for Malayalis worldwide. The authorities must recognise the significance of this event and take steps to prevent unscrupulous operators from profiting at the expense of people’s emotional connections to their homeland.
As the Onam spirit continues to inspire and bring people together, exploitative practices must be curtailed to allow everyone to partake in the festival without any financial burden.
South First approached the Interstate Bus Operators’ Association, Kerala, to find the reason for the ticket fare surge.
“The rate of a ticket comprises different factors outside of that single trip,” Rijas AJ of the association said. “Most interstate buses have optimum occupancy only for its one-side trip. During holidays the rush back home is more but fewer people are travelling in the opposite direction,” he explained.
“The rates are adjusted to meet the costs of a round trip as well as to meet the trip expenses incurred while operating on less-occupancy weekdays,” Rijas told South First.
“Surge charge is applied only if the last few seats are remaining unreserved. So the charge is heavily dependent on demand and supply. Airlines also follow a similar pattern but since they have government backing, they are not criticised. But we are targeted for adjusting rates based on demand,” he added.
The association said more than 70 buses would be plying daily between Bengaluru and Kerala from the coming weekend. “The demand is high and the tickets are selling fast. All private bus owner has been asked to maintain strict safety standards,” Manoj Padikkal of the association told South First.
The Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala road transport corporations have announced special services to Kerala during the season. These services are now almost fully booked on the government websites. The Karnataka RTC is levying a surge charge of up to 30 percent, taking the maximum ticket fare to ₹2,000.
May 05, 2024
May 05, 2024
May 05, 2024
May 05, 2024
May 02, 2024
May 01, 2024
