As Diwali nears, private bus operators have raised ticket prices again, leading to concerns about passenger exploitation. People believe they will always have to pay higher fares during holidays and festivals. In 2018, the state government set fixed ticket prices for buses, but nothing has changed in six years.

Contact numbers (022-62426666 and 1800220110) for filing complaints against private bus operators charging extra fares are currently out of service. Why are they closed? This feels like passengers are being unfairly treated. Mr Abhishek Murukate, Maharashtra State Coordinator of Surajy Abhiyan, a campaign of Hindu Janajagruti Samiti for social welfare, raised these issues when he submitted a memorandum to the state transport commissioner.

Some regional transport offices have announced WhatsApp helpline numbers for complaints, but if the commissioner’s office ordered this, why haven’t other offices done the same? When we asked transport officials what actions were taken against operators charging more, they said they hadn’t received any complaints. If the complaint numbers are down, how can there be complaints? Such irresponsible officials need to be held accountable. These contact numbers should be restored immediately and made available 24/7.

Additionally, the government set up a committee on April 5, 2023, to create the “Maharashtra Regulations of Aggregator Rules 2022 ” to control apps and web-based aggregators, but no report has been submitted yet. When will it be submitted, and when will it be implemented? How much impact is this delay having on passengers? When will the government address these issues? The Surajy Abhiyan has repeatedly communicated with the transport department and state government through letters, emails, Twitter, and in-person meetings. Despite this, many questions remain unanswered, and passenger exploitation continues!