With the number of passengers traveling to their hometowns increasing ahead of the Diwali festival, omni bus and flight fares from Chennai to various districts of Tamil Nadu and other states have risen several times over. In particular, those planning to travel at the last minute are having to pay more than the usual fare.
With Diwali set to be celebrated this Sunday (Nov. 8), reserved seats on trains and government buses from Chennai to the southern districts, the Kongu region, and other areas have mostly been filled. As a result, the number of people turning to omni buses and flights has increased.
Fare hike in omni buses: The fares of omni buses operating from Chennai to cities including Madurai, Coimbatore, Tiruchi, Tirunelveli, Nagercoil, Thoothukudi, Thanjavur, and Salem vary according to the type of bus.
According to the fare list released by the All Omni Bus Owners Association, the fare from Chennai to Madurai has been fixed at Rs. 2,010 for a regular sleeper bus, Rs. 2,330 for an air-conditioned sleeper bus, and Rs. 2,550 for a premium air-conditioned sleeper bus.
For Coimbatore, the fares are Rs. 2,090, Rs. 2,460, and Rs. 2,870 respectively, and for Tiruchy, Rs. 1,450, Rs. 1,680, and Rs. 1,840. Similarly, the fare has been fixed at Rs. 2,380 to Rs. 3,270 for Tirunelveli, Rs. 2,680 to Rs. 3,680 for Nagercoil, and Rs. 2,320 to Rs. 3,190 for Thoothukudi. For the cities of Thanjavur and Salem, the fare ranges from Rs. 1,500 to Rs. 1,900.
Meanwhile, as a special Diwali fare, the rate has been fixed at Rs. 2,500 from Chennai to Madurai, Rs. 2,400 to Coimbatore, and Rs. 2,000 to Tiruchy. However, passengers have complained that, in addition to this, many bus companies are charging fares ranging from Rs. 3,000 to Rs. 5,000 from Chennai to the southern districts, exceeding even these rates.
Meanwhile, transport department officials have formed special teams to monitor whether omni buses are charging more than the government-fixed fare. Officials have warned that action will be taken against buses that violate the rules and collect excessive fares.
Airfares have increased many times over: just like omni bus fares, airline fares have also risen significantly. The airfare from Chennai to Madurai, which was usually Rs. 4,730, has now increased to between Rs. 10,700 and Rs. 16,700.
The fare to Tiruchy, which was usually Rs. 4,640, has increased to between Rs. 12,000 and Rs. 14,683, and the fare to Coimbatore, which was usually Rs. 4,180, has risen to between Rs. 10,000 and Rs. 19,000. On the Chennai–Thoothukudi route, the airfare has gone up to Rs. 17,363, and on the Salem route, the fare that was usually Rs. 4,264 has risen to Rs. 12,769.
Fares also vary depending on the travel date for flights from Chennai to out-of-state cities including Hyderabad, Mumbai, and Kochi.
