Pune: Ganeshotsav Travel Rush Pushes Private Bus Fares Up By 2-3 Times

Pune, 14th September 2026: With the Ganeshotsav rush to native places picking up, passengers are facing a sharp rise in travel costs as private bus operators hike fares on several routes. With railway reservations largely sold out and long waiting lists on many trains, commuters are increasingly turning to private buses, where fares are reportedly two to three times the regular rates.

Pimpri Chinchwad has a large population from Marathwada, Vidarbha and Khandesh regions, many of whom travel home during the festival. The rush has pushed up demand for private buses, particularly among last-minute travellers who have few alternatives after failing to secure train tickets.

On the Pune-Nanded route, fares that usually start at around Rs 1,500 have risen to Rs 2,500-Rs 2,700. Similar increases have been reported on routes to Nagpur, Amravati, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Yavatmal, Akola, Jalgaon and Solapur.

Approximate fares currently range from Rs 2,300-Rs 3,900 for Pune-Nagpur, Rs 1,500-Rs 3,500 for Pune-Amravati, Rs 1,300-Rs 3,000 for Pune-Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Rs 1,300-Rs 2,800 for Pune-Yavatmal, Rs 1,500-Rs 2,700 for Pune-Nanded, Rs 1,200-Rs 2,500 for Pune-Akola, Rs 1,150-Rs 2,200 for Pune-Jalgaon and Rs 900-Rs 1,800 for Pune-Solapur. Fares vary depending on the bus type, seating arrangement, travel date and demand.

Large numbers of private buses operate from Nigdi, Bhosari, Chinchwad, Thergaon and Nashik Phata, where passenger crowds are expected to increase over the next few days.

The Regional Transport Office (RTO) needs to intensify checks on private bus operators to curb alleged overcharging. Officials should verify ticket prices against the fares actually collected from passengers and take action against operators violating prescribed norms.

With the festival rush expected to peak ahead of Ganesh Visarjan, commuters fear fares could rise further unless authorities step up inspections and enforcement.