Starting with the polling day on April 17, followed by easter Friday and then the weekend, majority of the working class people from other districts and neighbouring States are heading home and few of them for holidays. This has led to the increase in railway bookings and Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) buses by about 20-25% starting from Bangalore for April 16 evening.
There has been a tremendous increase in the number of bookings for trains heading to different directions from Bangalore. Compared to normal days, there has been a rise by about 25% in advance bookings. Of all the other places, in order to meet the extreme demand the Indian Railways, has increased the number of coaches for trains heading towards, Howrah and major places of Kerala. Infact, the increase in bookings have begun since April 11, said an official from South Western Railways, Bangalore office.
Meanwhile, the rush for bookings with KSRTC is also going the same way. In order to drive away the rush, KSRTC has provided 51 additional buses starting from Bangalore for April 16. Of the 51 buses, 23 is for operation within the State and 28 to other neighbouring States. An official from the Marketing Department, KSRTC told dna: "The bookings has increased tremendously since the working people are having an extended holiday starting from April 17. Some of them might be going to their districts to cast their vote and others for a holiday."
Bookings of buses has increased especially for places like Hubli, Dharward, Belgaum, Mangalore and Dharmastala within Karnataka and Tirupathi, Chennai, Mumbai , Shiridi and Pune are among the places of neighbouring States where the bookings has seen a rise. All the bookings are full for April 16. We will be monitoring our bookings and if there is need we will definitely increase the number of buses to these places, the official said.
Meanwhile, private bus services too seems to be full and have increased their fare too. With Vishu around the same time, Prajith working for a PR firm in Bangalore and a native of Kerala opted to take a flight which cost them Rs 5,000 as the A/C private bus was charging him Rs 3,200.
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