The All Omni Bus Owners Association has denied allegations that private omni-bus operators are sharply increasing fares during the festival season, saying ticket prices have remained unchanged since 2023 and that inflated figures displayed online are linked to competition among ticketing aggregators.
Association secretary D Maran made the claim at a press conference at the Koyambedu Omni Bus Terminus in Chennai on Thursday. He said operators were being blamed for fares shown on online platforms even when those prices did not represent tickets that could actually be booked.
Maran was responding to reports of fares as high as Rs 4,500 to Rs 5,000 for routes including Chennai to Udangudi in Thoothukudi district. He described the figures displayed by private tracking applications as “dummy charts” and challenged passengers and journalists to proceed to the final payment stage to establish whether seats were available at those rates.
According to the association, ticket prices have not been revised since 2023 despite changes in diesel prices. Maran attributed the online fare displays to aggressive competition among e-commerce companies seeking to expand their ticketing business. He said this competition was damaging the reputation of bus operators.
The association has asked the public and media to check its official fare charts during the peak travel period from October 23 to October 26. The request comes as festival travel is expected to increase demand for inter-city services from Chennai and other parts of Tamil Nadu.
The dispute highlights the difficulty passengers face in distinguishing an operator’s approved or listed fare from prices displayed by booking platforms, tracking applications and aggregators. The association’s position is that the prices shown online should not automatically be treated as the fares charged by the bus companies unless a booking can be completed at those rates.
The operators’ association has also asked the Tamil Nadu government to stop Regional Transport Officers from intercepting and imposing taxes on out-of-state buses entering the state during the festival rush. It has submitted a representation to the Home Secretary, the State Transport Minister and the Transport Commissioner.
Maran said more than 1,200 Tamil Nadu-registered omni buses operate in neighbouring Karnataka and Kerala without facing similar harassment or sudden taxation, and sought reciprocal leniency for buses arriving from Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala. The association said easing such action during the festival period would help accommodate the expected increase in passenger movement.
The representation submitted by the association seeks a temporary halt to inter-state tax collection during the festival days. Any change in enforcement or taxation will depend on the response of the state government and transport authorities.
