Private tourist bus operators are charging two to three times the usual rates ahead of Diwali, passengers have alleged, with tickets on some routes reportedly costing as much as Rs 7000.

Some of the passengers have taken to social media to criticise Maharashtra Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik and his department for the alleged failure to regulate fares during the festive season. Fares have risen from Rs 700 to Rs 4000 on one route, claimed a social media user.