Be prepared to shell out extra cash to taxis this festive season amid Bengaluru's holiday travel surge: Report

Bengaluru taxi operators report a surge in bookings for extended trips as residents seek scenic getaways during the festive season.

Published on: Oct 10, 2024, 17:00:06 IST

By Yamini C S

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As the festive season kicks off, taxi operators in Bengaluru are reporting a noticeable rise in bookings for extended trips to popular tourist destinations. Many residents are taking advantage of the long holidays to explore nearby scenic spots such as Madikeri, Wayanad, Mysuru, Ooty, and other nearby destinations like Chikkamagaluru, Sringeri, and Dharmasthala, the Deccan Herald reported.

The surge in demand has led to an increase in prices for taxis, particularly for air-conditioned sedans and SUVs. (Reuters)

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With the holiday season in full swing, demand for taxis has spiked, especially for trips lasting three to four days. People are looking for peaceful getaways, and the extended holidays offer a perfect opportunity to visit popular tourist spots, a local taxi operator said, as quoted by the publication. According to him, weekday trips are increasingly preferred as they tend to be less crowded compared to weekends, which are typically busier with tourists.

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The surge in demand has led to an increase in prices for taxis, particularly for air-conditioned sedans and SUVs. Normally, a sedan costs about ₹12 per kilometre, and an SUV like the Innova is priced at ₹17 per kilometre. But during festive times like Dasara, with fewer available drivers, rates have been increased by ₹1 to ₹3 per kilometre, a representative from a tours and travels company in Girinagar explained.

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The increase in demand is also being felt in the city’s airport taxi services. Wega Cabs, which serves Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport (KIA), charges a base rate of ₹699 for trips within 25 to 30 kilometres. However, during the festive period, prices have risen by about ₹100. Kumar, another taxi service provider, noted that trips from Electronics City to the airport now cost between ₹1,500 and ₹1,700, with an additional ₹100 for the festive season.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Yamini C S
Yamini CS is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times with nearly six years of experience in digital journalism. She is part of the India News desk, where she works on a wide range of stories cutting across civic issues, city-based developments, politics, governance, public policy, breaking news, trending topics, and international affairs that have an impact on India. Her role involves tracking fast-moving developments, verifying information from official and on-ground sources, and presenting news in a clear, accessible format for a digital-first audience. A significant part of her work includes handling live blogs during major news events, such as elections, court verdicts, political developments, civic disruptions, protests, weather-related alerts, and unfolding national or international incidents. Through live coverage, she focuses on timely updates to help readers follow complex stories as they evolve. Before moving to the broader India News desk, Yamini was associated with the Bengaluru desk at Hindustan Times, where she extensively covered urban governance, infrastructure, traffic and transport issues, weather events, public grievances, and civic administration in the city. This experience strengthened her grounding in city reporting and sharpened her focus on citizen-centric journalism. She began her career as a correspondent with Reuters after completing a postgraduate diploma in journalism from the Indian Institute of Journalism and New Media. Her early training instilled a strong emphasis on accuracy, sourcing, and news ethics, which continue to shape her reporting style. Outside of work, Yamini enjoys reading across genres, listening to music, and spending time with her family, which help her maintain balance in a fast-paced newsroom environment.Read More