Travel to Delhi gets costlier as pvt bus operators hike fare

Private bus transporters have hiked the bus fare per passenger by over 40 per cent between Amritsar and Delhi after the Railways changed the schedule of over 140 trains. As per the new schedule, around 58 trains have been cancelled, 48 rescheduled, 10 short-terminated and nine short-originated. Besides, 16 trains will be plied on diverted routes for the remaining period of this month.

The hike will compel a large number of railway passengers to shift to state transport or their own vehicles. About 40 buses are being plied by private public transporters on the busy Amritsar-Delhi route. Most of them would charge Rs 600 (for ordinary seat) and Rs 700 (for sleeper) per passenger on normal days. But after the revised train schedule and the rise in the number of passengers, the bus fare has gone up to Rs 900 for ordinary and Rs 1,000 for sleeper.

On the other hand, tour and taxi operators who would charge Rs 10,000 for a five-seater and Rs 16,000 for a seven-seater are now demanding Rs 2,000 more.

Rail traffic across North India has been affected this month amid a traffic block at the Chiheru railway station (in Kapurthala district) on the Sahnewal-Amritsar section in Ferozepur division owing to development work. Railway authorities said inconvenience to the rail passengers is unavoidable due to fortnight-long addition and alteration works at the Chiheru railway station as part of the longer loops project.

Railway officials said most of the time all trains being plied on the Amritsar-Delhi route record hundred per cent booking. A similar situation still prevails. They said other trains to and fro Delhi are coming jam-packed.

Meanwhile, passengers and vendors are dismayed at the blocking of the railway line.

Sushil Mahajan, who frequently travels between Amritsar and Delhi, said, “Dense smog has made travel in personal vehicles unsafe. In this scenario, trains offer safe and secure travel. The cancellation of 58 trains is very troublesome and before taking such a decision, the Railways should offer alternative routes.”

Vendors at the railway station said the move would curtail passenger footfall at the stations as well as their earnings. They demanded compensation from the Railways to meet their expenses.