The Gujarat State Road Transport Corporation (GSRTC) will operate 2,400 additional buses and more than 8,000 extra trips across the state from 4 to 7 November to manage the Diwali travel rush, with the largest special operation planned from Surat for passengers travelling to Saurashtra, north Gujarat and Panchmahal.
The decision is aimed at passengers leaving cities to celebrate Diwali and the Gujarati New Year with their families. Surat is expected to see the biggest deployment because large numbers of diamond workers and other migrant workers living in the city travel together to their home districts during the festival period.
According to the report, the special services from Surat will focus on destinations including Bhavnagar, Amreli, Junagadh and Rajkot in Saurashtra, along with routes towards north Gujarat and Panchmahal. These corridors connect the state’s major employment centres with districts from which a substantial seasonal movement of workers takes place during the holiday period.
In addition to Surat, extra buses will operate from major bus stations in Ahmedabad, Rajkot, Vadodara, Mehsana, Patan and Palanpur. The services will run alongside regular schedules during the four-day period. The report said the additional operations are intended to help passengers reach their destinations safely and on time while reducing pressure at bus stations.
The scale of the operation reflects the way festival travel creates a short, concentrated demand peak for public transport. Workers who normally depend on regular intercity services often travel at the same time, making capacity, boarding arrangements and advance reservations important parts of the transport response. However, the report does not provide a route-wise breakdown of the 2,400 buses or the 8,000-plus extra trips.
Passengers will be able to make current or advance reservations through the GSRTC’s official website and at bus depots. The corporation has also provided a 24-hour helpline for information about bus operations and passenger enquiries. The toll-free number listed in the report is 1800 233 666666.
The special services are scheduled to continue from 4 November through 7 November. Further operational information, including the availability of services on particular routes and departure points, is to be obtained through the GSRTC website, depots or the corporation’s helpline.
