Nagpur: Despite repeated warnings, several private travel operators in the city were caught overcharging passengers during the Diwali festive rush, prompting the Regional Transport Office (RTO) to launch a major enforcement drive from October 17 to 26, 2025.
During the 10-day campaign, officials from both Nagpur City and East RTO offices inspected 333 private buses, of which 89 were found violating transport regulations, said RTO (City) Kiran Bidkar. Among them, 32 operators were penalised for overcharging passengers, and fines amounting to ₹1.77 lakh were recovered under the Motor Vehicles Act.
The drive was supervised by RTO Bidkar and Deputy Regional Transport Officer Avinash Raut, with two mobile squads deployed at major check-posts, departure points, and travel hubs across Nagpur. The crackdown followed several complaints of operators charging 1.5 to 2 times the regular Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) fares, with some passengers paying between ₹3,500 and ₹10,000 for journeys to Pune and Hyderabad, depending on demand and seat type.
As per the Government Resolution (GR) dated April 27, 2018, private contract carriage buses are allowed to charge only up to 50% above the corresponding MSRTC fare for the same route. Operators exceeding this limit face fines and suspension of permits.
“Exploiting passengers with exorbitant fares during festive seasons will not be tolerated. Strict action will continue against all violators,” warned Bidkar.
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