India, Nov. 7 -- As many as 14 private bus operators were caught charging passengers fares exceeding the government-prescribed limits and Rs.7.04 lakh worth of fines were imposed during a special enforcement drive conducted by the Pune Regional Transport Office (RTO) between November 1 and 6, 2026. The RTO inspected 309 private passenger buses, 65 of which were found violating transport regulations during the drive carried out following numerous complaints of private bus operators charging exorbitant fares during the Diwali festive season.

As per the prescribed rules, private passenger bus operators are permitted to charge a maximum of 1.5 times the corresponding Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) fare/s. However, compl...