Vizianagaram transport official warns against inflated bus fares during Ganesh Chaturthi

Vizianagaram District Deputy Transport Commissioner Mani Kumar. | Photo Credit: BY ARRANGEMENT District Deputy Transport Commissioner D. Mani Kumar on Saturday (September 12, 2026) warned private bus operators against inflated fares during the Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations. He urged the public to lodge complaints with the Transport Department regarding high fares.He mentioned that the department had received information indicating that many private buses operating from Bengaluru, Tirupati, Hyderabad, and other locations to Vizianagaram and Srikakulam were charging extra fares due to the increased demand.“The department will not allow the fleecing of passengers during the festival season, as many people will be heading to their hometowns for the festivities. The department will undertake a special drive from September 12 to 15 to monitor this,” he said.According to sources, the operators are charging up to ₹2,500 from Hyderabad to Srikakulam and around ₹3,200 from Bengaluru to Srikakulam or Vizianagaram. The operators stated that there wouldn’t be much demand during the return travel and cited this as the main reason for the extra charges. Published - September 12, 2026 07:15 pm IST