With the Gauri-Ganesha festival approaching, private bus fares have been sharply increased, leaving travelers frustrated. On September 3rd, ticket prices for private buses from Bangalore were listed as follows: Bangalore-Haveri: Rs 600-1200, Bangalore-Gulbarga: Rs 600-1200, Bangalore-Yadagiri: Rs 600-1400, Bangalore-Davanagere: Rs 550-900, Bangalore-Hassan: Rs 475-600, Bangalore-Dharwad: Rs 500-1100, and Bangalore-Chikkamagaluru: Rs 500-900. However, on September 5th, the fares had risen significantly: Bangalore-Haveri: Rs 1550-1600, Bangalore-Gulbarga: Rs 1200-1800, Bangalore-Yadagiri: Rs 1100-1750, Bangalore-Davanagere: Rs 900-2000, Bangalore-Hassan: Rs 899-1800, Bangalore-Dharwad: Rs 1200-3000, and Bangalore-Chikkamagaluru: Rs 900-1500.
In response to the festival demand, KSRTC has introduced 1500 additional buses from September 5th to September 7th. These special services will connect Bangalore to various destinations including Dharmasthala, Kukkesubramanya, Shivamogga, Hassan, Mangalore, Kundapur, Hubli, Dharwad, Davangere, Tirupati, Vijayawada, Hyderabad, Mysore, Hunasur, Pariapatnam, Virajpet, Madikeri, and parts of Tamil Nadu and Kerala. The extra buses will return from these locations on September 8th, and e-tickets are available for booking.
The transport department has imposed a tax of Rs 4400 per seat every three months on private buses. On this occasion, private bus fares have been increased by Rs 300 to Rs 400.
