Pilgrims rush for buses & cabs as train tickets hard to book

Ranchi: Devotees of the state are opting for private and hired vehicles and special bus services to reach Maha Kumbh Mela as regular and special trains connecting Prayagraj from different cities of Jharkhand are packed to the rafters.Sushil Pandey, a resident of Namkum, had been trying to obtain tickets for himself and his wife Meenakshi for Prayagraj. "I tried the trains passing through Ranchi and the ones having stoppages at Asansol and Dhanbad. All the classes, be it AC second tier or the sleeper class, are full," he told TOI."In a desperate attempt, I reached the Khadgarha bus stand on Thursday and bought two tickets of a private bus operator, which has introduced a direct bus to Prayagraj to ferry Kumbh passengers," Pandey added."There are half a dozen buses which operate between Ranchi and Varanasi. Recently, two operators introduced special buses," Imran Khan, a bus operator, said. "The buses are leaving at 5 pm everyday and arriving at Prayagraj around 7 am the next morning. While sleeper tickets are priced at Rs 1,400, seats have been priced at Rs 1,200," he added.Taxi renting companies in the city are being flooded with enquiries since the Kumbh Mela began earlier this week. "Every day, we get five to six enquiries. We have got bookings from Friday," Kunal Shah, owner of Rahul Shah Gariwala Private Limited said. "Bigger cabs such as Innova are being rented out at Rs 18/km, while smaller cabs are charging Rs 13/km. Overnight charges are Rs 300 per night," he added.Others, who are equally interested but mindful of their budget, are on the lookout for companions. Doranda-based private professional Bishwajit Bhattacharya has planned a Kumbh visit with one of his colleagues. "Our families will travel together in my colleague's car. We will split the fuel cost," he said. Notably, more than a dozen special trains, connecting various states to Prayagraj, are passing through Jharkhand. That apart, the railways have augmented coaches to clear the extra rush of passengers.