Rail, air passengers hit hard

Rail, air passengers hit hard
The Times of India


Scene at railway station
Tired and hungry after a long train journey, passengers at the city railway station and Cantonment station were caught unawares when they did not find a single autorickshaw. With loads of luggage, infants in tow, passengers did not mind shelling out excess fare to get a transport. However, the city taxis had a field day. The fares sky-rocketed. “Nothing less than Rs 800 to
Jayanagar,” said a taxi driver to a family of four. “We have no other option. I have been waiting for nearly two hours and want to get home. We reached Bangalore on a wrong day,” said S R Bose, who travelled from West Bengal.
At hospitals
Patients of government hospitals bore the brunt. In fact, those who had to be discharged on Thursday, opted for a day’s extension at the hospitals and sought discharge either after 6 pm on Thursday or on Friday. Some of the patients paid for ambulances to drop them home.
At the airport
The scene was equally bad at the airport as the cabs fleeced people. Passengers, who had transport facility, did car pooling with those who resided in the same area.
At the Subhashnagar bus station
“How much will you pay? Rs 400. Madam, today is the strike and you won’t get any autorickshaws,” a taxi driver told Usha Mehta, who travelled from Chennai.
“There is a shortage of taxis as well and if you want to bargain with me, you will end up standing in the bus stand till late in the evening,” he added.