Passengers irked with delays in Bengaluru-Karwar Panchaganga Express after augmentation
While the Panchaganga Express (train no. 16596) is scheduled to arrive at Yeshwanthpur at 6.43 a.m., it arrived late by 47 minutes, 1.34 hours, 1.10 hours, and 1.08 hours on June 13, 14, 15, and 16, respectively, according to Prathvi Kunder, a patron from Kundapura.
The train's average delay for the last seven days was 41 minutes at Yeshwanthpur and 27 minutes at KSR Bengaluru, according to the National Train Enquiry System (NTES).
Similarly, the train arrived late by 9 minutes, 13 minutes, 2.06 hours, and 1 hour at Karwar on these dates, against the scheduled arrival of 8.25 a.m., he told The Hindu. The average delay in the last week at Karwar was 7 minutes, according to the NTES.
Office-goers affected
The delayed arrival, particularly at Bengaluru, has affected regular office-going commuters, said Gautam Shetty, a member of Kundapura Railway Prayanikara Samithi. He said the office-goers had to take a half-day leave because of the delay.
The timings of Panchaganga Express, which left Karwar at 6.00 p.m. and reached Yeshwanthpur at 6.43 a.m. and KSR Bengaluru at 7.15 a.m., were the reason the service became a big hit.
After 7:00 a.m., the Yeshwanthpur-KSR Bengaluru section becomes highly congested with the arrival of many trains from far-off places, including North Karnataka, resulting in delays to the Panchaganga Express, he said.
Crossing at Subrahmanya Road
Train no. 16595 and train no. 16596 crossed each other at Siribagilu on the Sakleshpur-Subrahmanya Road Ghat section when they had 14 coaches each. After adding five more coaches to compensate for the cancelled day trains in the section, the two trains were made to cross at Subrahmanya Road Station due to constraints at Siribagilu. The Bengaluru service was not designed to compensate for the delay between Hassan and Chikkabanavara, resulting in the delay, Mr. Shetty said.
Members of Parliament from the coastal region had urged SWR to ensure the punctuality of services before adding more coaches, patrons noted.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
2 days ago
- Hindustan Times
Bengaluru senior citizen legally wins refund fight against tour operator after firm withholds her passport
A Bengaluru-based travel agency has been pulled up by the city's consumer commission for unfair business practices after it withheld both the passport and advance payment of a senior citizen who cancelled her Europe trip due to health concerns, reported The Times of India. A Bengaluru travel agency reportedly withheld the passport of a senior citizen after she cancelled her international trip. (File) Also Read - 'Am I really in Bengaluru?': Commuter surprised as auto driver turns on meter without haggling What is the case? According to the report, the 63-year-old Chandraprabha M, a resident of ISRO Layout in JP Nagar, visited the Vijay Nagar office of Chariot World Tours Ltd in March 2024 to make a routine enquiry about a European holiday. However, she ended up being persuaded to book the 'Chariot All Inclusive 18 Nights, 19 Days Europe Tour' set to begin on May 13, 2024. Claiming it was a limited-period offer, the tour staff allegedly urged her to make an instant decision. Pressured by the pitch, Chandraprabha paid a ₹1 lakh advance on the spot via cheque and handed over her original passport and supporting documents. However, her plans changed the very next day, after her doctor advised against international travel due to health complications. She promptly contacted the tour company to cancel the trip. As requested, a written cancellation letter was submitted at the tour office by her son, Shashank G, on March 23 at 10 am. Despite verbal assurances of a refund and return of her passport, the agency sent a letter two days later stating that her full advance payment was forfeited. They cited a non-refundable policy, which Chandraprabha said was never disclosed at the time of booking. Also Read - Bengaluru delivery agent, 25, dies on spot after KSRTC bus rams into his two-wheeler The company also refused to return her passport and travel documents. Left with no other option, Chandraprabha issued a legal notice on April 6, demanding the return of her documents and refund of the advance. When the agency failed to respond, she approached the consumer court on May 27, accusing the firm of unfair trade practices. In its defence, Chariot World Tours claimed that the customer had willingly cancelled her tour 52 days ahead of departure. They said the payment included ₹90,702 as advance, ₹4,536 as GST, and ₹4,762 as Tax Collected at Source (TCS), which together constituted about 23% of the total tour cost of ₹4.3 lakh. The agency insisted the amount was non-refundable and that Chandraprabha had signed terms and conditions agreeing to this. After reviewing submissions from both parties, the consumer forum criticised the tour operator's stance. The commission pointed out that the booking and cancellation took place within a day, and no major expenses could have been incurred by the company in such a short span. It ruled that applying a blanket non-refundable clause under such circumstances was both 'unjust and unfair.' As a result, Chariot World Tours Ltd has been directed to refund the amount after deducting 5%, pay ₹30,000 as compensation for the harassment caused, and ₹10,000 towards litigation expenses.
Hindustan Times
3 days ago
- Hindustan Times
Nandi Hills to get new glass-walled restaurant as tourist numbers climb: Report
The iconic Nandi Hills, one of Karnataka's most visited weekend getaways, is set to welcome a brand-new restaurant offering panoramic views and modern amenities, The Hindu reported. The Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation (KSTDC) is developing a new 200-seater facility. The Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation (KSTDC) is developing a new 200-seater facility, Mayura Sunrise, to meet the growing demands of tourism at the hilltop in Chikkaballapur district. According to the report, the project was officially launched when Chief Minister Siddaramaiah laid its foundation stone during a recent Cabinet session held on the hill itself, a symbolic gesture underscoring the government's focus on improving tourism infrastructure in the region. (Also Read: 'We are growing backwards': This viral 1980s Bengaluru photo leaves residents lamenting a lost city) The new restaurant is being built on the site of an older KSTDC structure that has now been demolished. The tourism body already operates the Mayura Pine Top hotel and restaurant nearby, but officials say the rising footfall has far outpaced its capacity, the report added. 'The existing facility can no longer handle the crowd. We're now building a modern restaurant with transparent glass windows that will allow visitors to enjoy the sunrise and valley views while dining,' said a senior KSTDC official according to the publication. According to data from the KSTDC, tourist numbers have surged in recent years. Around 19.48 lakh people visited Nandi Hills in 2023, and the number climbed to 21.32 lakh in 2024. Projections show the footfall could reach 23.35 lakh in 2025 and continue to rise to 31.98 lakh by 2028, growing at an estimated 9% annually, The Hindu reported. The restaurant is one of several key upgrades planned. A long-awaited ropeway project is expected to begin construction soon, and authorities are considering traffic curbs to protect the fragile hilltop. District in-charge Minister MC Sudhakar has proposed restricting private vehicle access, especially as part of the hilltop parking area is set to become a terminal for the ropeway. Tourist traffic to Nandi Hills has reached significant volumes during peak weekends. In December 2024 alone, over 12,700 vehicles and 21,000 two-wheelers made their way up the hill on weekends, raising concerns about congestion and environmental degradation.
The Hindu
3 days ago
- The Hindu
Special vehicle passes issued to residents on Mada Streets near Arunachaleswara temple to prevent illegal parking
The Regional Transport Office (RTO) in Tiruvannamalai has began to issue special vehicle passes, mainly for owned cars, for residents living around Mada Streets near Arunachaleswarar temple to prevent illegal parking by tourists on narrow streets and key stretches that result in traffic congestion and accidents. RTO officials said that many cars that have other States registered number plates are parked on narrow streets and key stretches in the town. Such illegal parking by pilgrims has crippled the movement of local vehicles including school vans, ambulances and government buses. 'Police and transport officials can scan special passes on vehicles to know details of its owner, place of residence and other details to check its authenticity. After verification, more passes will be issued in the coming days,' K. Karunanidhi, RTO (Tiruvannamalai), told The Hindu. Collector K. Tharpagaraj mooted the idea of introducing special vehicle passes for residents around the temple during monthly traffic regulation meetings recently to prevent illegal parking, mostly by pilgrims. On Saturday, Mr. Tharpagaraj launched the initiative by pasting stickers on vehicles owned by residents around Mada Streets. Locals welcomed the initiative taken by the district administration in coordination with police, transport department and HR&CE as part of traffic management in the temple town. 'The new vehicle passes will help restoration of road space around the temple for residents. During emergencies, ambulances can easily access narrow lanes around the temple as the stretches will be free from illegal parking,' said B. Vasanthi, a resident. Transport officials said that as part of the initiative, 13 streets around the temple have been identified. Vehicle owners in these stretches were verified for special passes. Applicants for special passes should submit copies of vehicle registration certificate, insurance, pollution certificate, and aadhar that has the owner's name and address. Physical verification by transport officials will be done if required. Of total 378 applicants, 323 vehicle owners were issued special passes in the first phase. Subsequently, other applications will be scrutinized. Police will seize vehicles that do not have special pass stickers and are parked on identified stretches. At present, Tiruvannamalai town gets around three lakh visitors on Chitra Pournami days and 1.5 lakh tourists on weekends. Most pilgrims, especially from Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, come in cabs and own cars to the temple.
