Commuters face hardships as bus fares hiked, trains cancelled

Hyderabad: Trains running through the South Central Railway (SCR) continue to be affected due to the derailment in Mumbai section after heavy rains had lashed the commercial capital of the country in the last few days.

People travelling to Mumbai from the city are coughing exorbitant money up to reach Mumbai in buses. Rakesh Jain, a businessman, said, "Even the buses are packed and operators are not guaranteeing drop to Mumbai, as there is a huge traffic jam in Kandala ghat section."

Ravinder, a student, said, "Even the Devagiri Express was cancelled on Wednesday. I did not book my ticket online, and as a result had to stand in a line to get a refund." On Tuesday, close to 20 trains were cancelled resulting in more pressure on bus operators. Ticket prices too have shot up. Syed Nizamuddin, president at Telangana State Cabs & Bus Operators Association, says, "Unlike the past where close to 200 buses operated between Hyderabad and Mumbai, now there are just 50-70 buses on this route."

With trains getting cancelled, bus operators hiked the fare. A ticket for Rs 800 last week has now been raised to Rs 1,200 to Rs 1,500. Fall in air fare, opening of the international airport and people taking direct flights from Hyderabad to the Middle Eastern countries are reasons cited for the reduction in buses to Mumbai. Mahesh, travel agent of GP Travels in Paradise Circle, says, "There is also demand for Pune, as all buses are not able to go till Mumbai."

Meanwhile, passengers who had booked tickets in the Devagiri Express returned disappointed on Wednesday afternoon at the Secunderabad Railway Station. The general waiting room before entering the platform No 1 is full. Railway officials say that people can get full refund for their tickets.

Alok Deshmukh, a passenger, said, "We are three of us travelling and have booked bus tickets till Pune. The roads are blocked. We will reach Pune and decide."

There are seven trains to Mumbai, out of which, five run every day. According to rough estimates, close to 10,000 people travel in trains to Mumbai every day with the No 12702 Hyderabad-Mumbai CSMT Hussainsagar Express and No 17032 Hyderabad Mumbai CSMT Express being the popular trains.