MSRTC has planned 5,220 additional bus trips for Ganeshotsav travel to Konkan and received advance or group reservations for 5,741 buses from Mumbai, Thane and Palghar, according to a report by Loksatta. The extra services will operate between September 9 and 14, with the highest passenger demand expected on September 11 and 12.
The Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation has also arranged special services for the return journey between September 19 and 27. Of the 5,741 buses already reserved, 5,184 are booked through group reservations and 557 through individual reservations. The Thane division accounts for the largest share, with 3,077 buses reserved, followed by the Mumbai division with 1,987 and the Palghar division with 677.
The additional services will operate from depots and bus stations in the three divisions to support passengers travelling to different destinations in Konkan during the festival period. Alongside regular ordinary buses, passengers have also shown interest in the Rajmata Jijau bus service, the report said.
For coordinating the increased traffic, MSRTC has appointed Sandeep Patil, divisional traffic officer from the Raigad division, as the ‘Yatra Pramukh’. A review meeting for officers and supervisory staff involved in the arrangements is scheduled at the Kurla Nehru Nagar depot on September 9.
The corporation plans to provide drivers and conductors with electronic ticket-issuing machines, control-room details and route information booklets. Food outlets, repair teams and operational guidance will also be made available. Buses are to be fuelled to full capacity before departure to reduce the risk of interruptions during the journey.
Special fuelling arrangements have been planned at Igatpuri, Shahapur, Murbad, Vallabhnagar and Panvel for buses arriving from Nashik, Pune and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. The corporation has also planned round-the-clock mobile repair teams and breakdown vans at important locations in Konkan, including along the Mumbai-Goa Highway.
Parking facilities, drinking water and toilets are being arranged for drivers and conductors arriving from other regions. MSRTC has also identified alternative routes in view of possible natural disruptions and traffic congestion. The arrangements are intended to support bus operations during the peak festival travel period.
Reservations for special buses are available through MSRTC’s official website, the MSRTC Bus Reservation mobile application and reservation counters at bus stations. Group reservations are available for groups of at least 40 passengers. Under the group-reservation arrangement, women and senior citizens are eligible for a 50% fare concession, while Amrut senior citizens are eligible for a 100% concession.
