Travel rush for this weekend, tickets in demand

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, May 11, 2018: With  the Karnataka Assembly elections polling due tomorrow on May 12, most of the interstate buses on popular routes have been booked to full capacity. It’s not only buses of Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC), but even private operators are reporting high demand, as well as railways and so on.

“Elections may be one of the factors for the increase in the number of bookings. Usually on weekends, there is a rush for bookings. This time, election day has fallen on a weekend and it is a holiday for firms. People who want to go their hometowns to vote or for a short holiday book bus tickets in advance to avoid the last-minute rush,” said a KSRTC official.

KSRTC is providing 3,600 buses for election duty, which could also be one of the reasons for a reduction in the number of available seats. To keep up with demand, KSRTC will be operating a hundred additional services in Mangaluru, Udupi, Kundapura, Shivamogga, Davangere and other places.

Booking sites indicate that private operators are charging double the fare on some routes. For instance, a ticket from Bengaluru to Belagavi can cost as much as Rs. 1,800 for AC buses while one to Mangaluru is selling for anywhere between Rs. 1,300 and Rs. 1,500.