Date:01/04/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/04/01/stories/2007040120840500.htm
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Karnataka - Bangalore

Passengers face ordeal as travel plans go haywire

Staff Reporter

Tamil Nadu bandh has reverberations in Karnataka


  • Many passengers were caught unawares about cancellation of several trains
  • Air connectivity between Bangalore and Chennai was largely unaffected

    BANGALORE: The Tamil Nadu bandh against the Supreme Court stay on the education quota for OBCs found its reverberations here on Saturday with several travellers stranded. Many had to cancel or change their travel plans, while others stoically waited for resumption of transport services to the neighbouring State.

    Many passengers were caught unawares about cancellation of several trains. Long queues were seen at the reservation counter of Bangalore City railway station with people seeking cancellation of tickets. While some people sought reservation at a later date, others rushed to Tamil Nadu counter at the Kempegowda bus stand for booking tickets for evening and night buses.

    K.S. Chandrashekar, a resident of Dollar's Colony, was waiting with seven of his family members at the bus station waiting for resumption of service to Chennai. He had reserved eight tickets on the Cauvery Express train for Chennai on Friday night to attend a marriage on Sunday. But he cancelled the ticket when he learnt about the bandh and possibility of the train halting at Arakkonam.

    Entire families without reserved tickets were seen waiting in the bus station and the railway platform. Some were heard enquiring about rooms at affordable rates to seek a respite from the afternoon heat.

    Barring a few rescheduled flights to Chennai, air connectivity between Bangalore and Chennai was largely unaffected by the bandh. Airports Authority of India (AAI) officials here confirmed the rescheduling of flights but added that the passengers were not put to inconvenience as most of them were aware of the bandh.

    An Indian flight bound for Bhubaneswar through Chennai flew directly to the Orissa capital.

    The passengers were informed in advance, according to the airline sources.

    Another evening flight to Chennai at 8 p.m. was on schedule.

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