Transportation in Assam has been significantly affected due to the ongoing Lok Sabha elections, causing inconvenience to commuters across the state.
Expressing frustration over the situation, Manjit Saikia from Tezpur told GPlus, "This is absolutely public harassment. Because of elections, there are no vehicles available in Khanapara and ISBT. I came here for a medical checkup and have to return for voting in my constituency, but I have waited here for more than three hours to get one vehicle. The ticket, which was priced at Rs. 250, has now surged to Rs. 1000."
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Similarly, another traveler from Jorhat remarked, "The non-AC bus ticket, which usually costs Rs. 400, is now being charged at Rs. 600. We are suffering because of the elections."
Talking to GPlus, Anisha Borgohain from Tinsukia, "I have been stuck here for hours trying to find a ride due to the elections. I came here for job interview. It's frustrating. Prices have shot up, and it's making things difficult for everyone."
Jintu Bora, a daily bus commuter in Guwahati, talking to GPlus said, "Because of the elections, there are so few buses that we have to travel in these overcrowded buses. The summer has already begun, and it's really frustrating to see this condition."
Adding to the grievances, Bhaswati Das, a traveller from Pune, highlighted the exorbitant flight ticket prices due to the elections, stating, "Because of the elections, ticket prices for flights from Pune to Guwahati were quite expensive. The tickets, which usually range from Rs. 7000 to Rs. 8000, were being charged at Rs. 25,000. This is public harassment."
Talking to GPlus, Arman Hazarika said, “I usually don't travel by public transport but for a couple of days that I had to, I was shocked by the abysmal state of affairs of Guwahati buses. I was excited to travel by the new green and orange buses but they are few and far between and filled to the point that doors can't be closed. But that is just the tip of the issue. I was waiting for 30 minutes to an hour at Lachit Nagar for a bus to travel to Basistha. Some of the buses only go till Bhangagarh, some go to Khanapara even though the LED display shows Basistha, some refuse to take new passengers and the rest are filled to the brim. After an hour, I had to book a cab.”
Furthermore, GPlus also spoke to various transportation service providers to understand the impact of elections on their operations. A shared taxi driver in Khanapara revealed, "Most of the taxis are taken for elections."
Talking to GPlus, a cab driver in Khanapara said, "Only 20-30% of cabs are available in Guwahati. The rest have been taken for elections."
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According to a senior official from the All Assam Cab Association, "More than 3000 cabs are being utilised for the Lok Sabha elections."
Talking to GPlus, an official from the All Assam Bus Association provided insight, stating, "There are 451 city buses in Guwahati, and at least 300 buses have been hired for the elections."
