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Surajya Abhiyan demands strict action on private bus fare hike during Ganeshotsav

  • Konkan fares surging up to 1200% for Ganeshotsav

  • Surajya Abhiyan calls for mandatory ‘Digital Fare Lock’ and ‘Grievance QR code’


Mumbai – The Public Works Department (PWD) of the Government of Maharashtra has announced a toll exemption for devotees travelling to the Konkan region during Ganeshotsav. However, while the government is waiving toll fees, the administration has completely abandoned thousands of commuters travelling by private buses. Surajya Abhiyan had drawn the administration’s attention to this issue several times in the past, demanding strict action; nevertheless, due to administrative apathy, the situation has now turned critical. 

Helpless commuters fleeced by private bus operators

Reservations for all regular and special trains heading to Konkan for Ganeshotsav were fully booked a month in advance. Furthermore, owing to the limited number and fleet capacity of ST Mahamandal (MSRTC) buses, a large number of commuters have been compelled to rely on private contract carriage buses. Taking unfair advantage of this helpless predicament, online bus ticket booking apps and private travel operators are fleecing passengers by levying illegal fare hikes ranging from 400% to 1200%. 

A substantial, unlawful escalation in fares, ranging from ₹1,200 to ₹3,957, is plainly visible on ticket-booking portals like ‘RedBus’ across all major routes leading from Mumbai, Pune, and Kolhapur to Konkan:

  1. Pune to Kankavli route: The fare on 10 September ranged between ₹2,217 and ₹2,599, which was directly jacked up to between ₹3,400 and ₹4,421 on the arrival day of Ganeshotsav (11 September)—a direct hike of up to ₹1,800. 
  2. Mumbai (Sion) to Sindhudurg route: The base fare on 9 September stood at ₹1,100, which surged to ₹4,276 for 11 September—a direct jump of ₹3,176.
  3. Kolhapur to Kankavli route: The base fare on 9 September was ₹360, which shot up directly to ₹4,317 per seat for 11 September—an unprecedented rise of ₹3,957. 

Under Section 67 of the Motor Vehicles Act, the maximum fare for private buses cannot exceed 1.5 times (50% higher than) the base fare of State Transport (ST) buses. Despite this, daylight robbery continues unabated across online applications. 

Key demands of Surajya Abhiyan

  • Mandatory ‘Digital Fare Lock’: The Transport Department must mandate a ‘Digital Fare Lock’ under Section 93 across all online booking apps to enforce the 1.5-times ceiling.
  • Grievance QR code: It must be made compulsory to display a ‘Grievance QR Code’ behind every passenger seat in private buses.
  • Audit and enforcement: Technical audits of online booking portals should be undertaken, and flying squads from the Regional Transport Office (RTO) must conduct surprise inspections to immediately suspend the permits of buses charging illegal fares.
Read more on Hindu Janajagruti SamitiPress ReleaseSurajya Abhiyan

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