Travel operators hike fees to cash in on IndiGo crisis | Lucknow News

Lucknow: The ongoing crisis at IndiGo Airlines, marked by frequent flight cancellations and delays, has forced many travellers to look for alternative modes of transport. As airlines struggle to restore normal operations, private tour operators, travel agencies and commercial vehicle owners are seeing the disruption as an opportunity and hiking prices sharply for intercity and interstate travel.Passengers stranded at airports or facing repeated rescheduling are increasingly opting for road and rail travel to reach time-sensitive destinations across the country. The sudden shift in demand has led to a spike in last-minute bookings for taxis, tourist vehicles, and private travel packages, particularly for long-distance routes. Several travellers complained that vehicle operators were quoting rates far higher than usual/normal, especially for routes covering neighbouring states or major cities. Several passengers alleged some operators were charging arbitrarily amounts, turning the airline disruption into an opportunity.”This is clearly ‘aapda mein avsar’ (making profit out of crisis) as people are already stressed and being forced to pay more just to reach their destination,” said Rakesh Tiwari, who travelled to Kanpur by road after his flight was cancelled.Earlier, private bus operators used to charge Rs 1,400 for travel to Delhi for sleeper buses, but the fare has now reached Rs 2,600 . Similarly, private car owners used to charge Rs 3,000 for travel to Delhi, which has now hiked to Rs 4,500. A similar hike of fares up to 50% was reported for cities in nearby states, including Jaipur, Bhopal, Patna, Gurgaon, etc. Tour operators, however, defended the price increase. “Bookings have gone up suddenly because passengers want confirmed alternatives. Long-distance trips mean drivers are away for longer hours and fuel and operational costs are also high,” said Sameer Khan, a local travel agency owner. Commercial vehicle operators confirmed a rise in bookings. “We are getting nonstop calls for outstation travel. Rates are varying depending on distance, urgency and vehicle type,” said a taxi union representative.Passenger groups have urged authorities to keep a watch on pricing and prevent exploitation. Until flight operations stabilise, travellers say they are at the mercy of alternative transport providers, with the IndiGo disruption continuing to ripple across the travel sector in the city.