Vishu travel on KSRTC gets pricier: Fare details, routes

Looks like travelling to Kerala for Vishu on a KSRTC bus wouldn't be a viable option for many. For instance, the bus fare from Chennai to Ernakulam at 8.30 pm on April 10 is ₹ 2,456. This is when most people will be travelling. The bus that leaves at 6.30 pm is ₹1,261. Meanwhile, bus tickets are priced above Rs 2,000 on the following days as well. Passengers are forced to pay higher fares under the guise of dynamic pricing on the brand-new AC sleeper buses. 

The price difference
The bus ticket from Kilambakkam at 8.30 pm generally costs ₹1,640. However, it is ₹2,456 on April 10, Friday. Meanwhile, the ticket fare is ₹2,179 on April 11 and 12. On April 12 and 14, when passenger numbers are lower, the ticket price has also dropped to ₹1,640. Passengers are forced to book bus tickets because train tickets are unavailable, and airfares have skyrocketed. 

The bus that starts at 8.30 pm from Kilambakkam operates service via Guduvancherry, Singaperumal Kovil, Thindivanam, Villupuram, Salem, Coimbatore, Palakkad, Thrissur, Chalakkudy, Angamali and Vytila Hub. The bus reaches the KSRTC bus stand in South at around 8.30 am. Although a non-AC super deluxe Airbus also runs service at 6.30 pm on April 10, everyone prefers the sleeper bus at 8.30 pm, considering the departure time. The bus that starts at 6.30 pm from Kilambakkam reaches Ernakulam at 7.25 next morning. The ticket on this bus costs ₹1,261. 

Flight tickets skyrocket
Airfares have been rising without limit, harming the travel plans of the common man. Flight tickets to Thiruvananthapuram on April 10 and 11 cost ₹7,433; ₹6,724 on April 12; and ₹7,091 on April 13. Meanwhile, it costs ₹6,913 on April 10, ₹6,782 on April 11 and ₹5,130 on April 13 and 14, to Kochi. Flight tickets to Kozhikode and Kannur are more expensive than this. Air ticket to Kozhikode on April 10 costs ₹7,174, ₹8,208 on April 11, ₹9,396 on April 12 and ₹6,782 on April 13. Meanwhile, airlines charge a whopping ₹12,000 to Kannur on April 10 and above ₹10,000 on April 12.