Mangaluru: For students and IT professionals travelling from Bengaluru to coastal Karnataka for Dasara , the annual homecoming is turning expensive, with private bus fares crossing Rs 1,500 on some dates as seats fill up.
Arun Crasta said he booked late and found fares at Rs 1,500, which rose to around Rs 1,700 as seats filled up. South Western Railway (SWR) announced cancellations of several day services on the Yeshwantpur-Mangaluru Junction from Oct 4 to Nov 4, with services operating from Oct 16 to 20 to facilitate festive travel.
Yatish Konchady, who usually takes the Yeshwantpur day train home, said he was unaware of its cancellation and had to look for a bus instead. “I used to pay around Rs 160 by train; now I have to pay around Rs 1,670 by bus,” he said. Regular traveller Jyotsna said full trains left passengers with little choice but to take available buses, some of which she said were in poor condition.
The rush is normal on the Bengaluru-Mangaluru route during Dasara, when students, IT professionals and families travel to their hometowns in coastal Karnataka. This year, train cancellations have added to the pressure.