Crackdown on bus fare violations during Sankranti
With Sankranti travel seeing a sharp rise, the Andhra Pradesh Transport Department has intensified surveillance to prevent private bus operators from charging excessive fares, Visakhapatnam Deputy Transport Commissioner R. Ch. Srinivas said on Saturday.
He said fare-monitoring teams, along with RTGS surveillance, have been tracking ticket prices for the past six days across major online booking platforms, including AbhiBus and RedBus. “Wherever higher fares are observed, bus owners are being alerted, and fares are being brought down immediately,” he said.
Mr. Srinivas said private buses were permitted to charge only up to 50% above APSRTC fares and warned of legal action in case of violations.
A 24×7 statewide helpline — 92816 07001 — has been set up for complaints related to fares and other issues. The helpline number must be displayed in every private bus, he added.
Special teams and Motor Vehicle Inspectors have been deployed for inspections. Two buses were seized on Saturday for overcharging, while cases were registered against five others. Penalties totalling Rs 60,000 were imposed, he said.
The DTC said cases were booked against 32 buses in the past week for tax, permit and other violations. The enforcement drive will continue till January 19, 2026, he added.