Diwali week in Karnataka has pushed private bus fares sharply higher on one of the busiest routes in the state, with tickets from Bengaluru to Mangaluru touching Rs 3,000.

For travellers who missed the KSRTC window or need to travel at short notice, there is now little choice but to book with private operators running sleeper, multi-axle and Volvo buses. Private operators are charging Rs 2,000 to Rs 2,500 for sleeper berths, Rs 2,000 to Rs 3,000 for Volvo sleeper buses and Rs 1,500 to Rs 2,500 for non-AC sleeper buses.

KSRTC steps in with extra buses

On the Bengaluru to Mangaluru route, KSRTC fares range from Rs 500 for an ordinary service to Rs 1,000 for an Airavat Volvo semi-sleeper and Rs 2,000 for an Ambaari sleeper. Regular fares on the route usually range from Rs 900 to Rs 2,000, so the current private rates are a sharp rise on the norm. In a separate move, KSRTC also announced a new Mysuru to Mangaluru bus service and designated 19 bus stands across the state, including three in Bengaluru, for the festival rush, with staff asking passengers to use only authorised facilities.

Fares track demand and return journeys

The fare surge is not limited to one city. Travel from Chennai to Bengaluru shows the same pattern, with private bus fares reaching Rs 4,500, while a Chennai to Mangaluru sleeper costs around Rs 4,000 and a Chennai to Bengaluru sleeper around Rs 2,500. The pattern is familiar to festival travellers: fares climb before Diwali, peak in the days around the festival, then fall back.

Rail and air options hold steadier

Rail and air options have held steadier than bus fares. A second-class sleeper ticket on the Chennai to Mangaluru train costs Rs 385 and a third AC ticket Rs 1,020, while a flight from Chennai to Mangaluru costs Rs 5,000. For passengers who have train tickets, these prices remain far below the private bus rates, though availability is a problem at this time of year.

Why bus fares swing so sharply during the festival

Bus fares rise for a clear reason: private operators set prices according to demand. During festival periods, when trains are full and many people are heading home, operators raise prices to the level the market will bear. KSRTC's fixed fares and extra services are the counterweight, but only for passengers who book early enough. With Diwali itself, on 8 November, now days away, the peak of the travel rush is on. Fares are expected to ease next week once the festival is over, when buses are no longer full and demand falls back to normal.