Sankranti is fast approaching and the rush of people booking tickets for their hometown has increased the demand for transport services in the two Telugu states, resulting in prices almost tripling this season.

According to a report in The Hindu, private travels operators are cashing in on the rush by charging triple fares from the passengers who are traveling home this Sankranti.

Many techies who are working in Hyderabad visit their native cities or villages every year for the Telugu festival Sankranti.

Mohan Varma, a native of Guntur who works in Hyderabad, told The Hindu that “Train tickets are difficult to get, forcing most people to avail buses. Sensing the huge demand, prices are hiked. Though tickets may be available on RTC buses, many who use phones and apps to book tickets remain unaware of the availability because private aggregators have effective smartphone services."

Private operators are charging a minimum fare of Rs 3,000 for luxury buses to Vijayawada, Rajahmundry and Vizag. However the TSRTC and APSRTC have not hiked their prices.

The South Central Railway has also launched 94 special trains, with most trains going towards Vijayawada. Special trains have also been introduced to Kakinada and Visakhapatnam.