Festive blues: Spike in fare, misbehavior of bus drivers in Bihar during Chhath Puja

There is a large number of people coming to Muzaffarpur from other states during Chhath festival. Due to lack of seats in trains, passengers are resorting to buses. But seems like the private bus drivers and conductors are using this auspicious time to earn money.

The local people reported that buses are taking advantage and charging extra during Chhath Puja. Passengers are being charged double the fare. The fare from Delhi to Muzaffarpur- Darbhanga is Rs 900-1000. Whereas the bus drivers are currently charging Rs 2000. Despite charging double the fare, passengers are not being taken to Darbhanga. Drivers are dropping them off mid-way so that they can accommodate more passengers.

Every day hundreds of passengers are coming home to celebrate Chhath Puja, by bus in Sadatpur of the city. But by the time of their dropping, passengers are being suffocated and three people are forcibly made to sit on the seat of two. some passengers even reported that when the bus starts from Delhi, everything is fine. But gradually the crowd in the bus starts increasing. at several occasions they don’t even have a seat to sit on but are asked to pay the whole amount. If there is no seat, forcibly two passengers are seated instead of one. If they protest, they threaten to be thrown out of the bus, as told by the local travelers.

Several passengers also complained that they are being dropped mid way and had to pay the fare of the second bus to reach home. Several passengers also said that there is Police mostly present at Sadatpur, but when passengers complain to them, they ignore the issue. No cognizance was taken on the complaints of the passengers. The bus drivers drop the passengers there and leave comfortably. Passengers get frustrated and go to the destination by another bus.