NAVI MUMBAI | September 9, 2026
The Panvel State Transport depot will operate additional buses for passengers travelling from the Mumbai Metropolitan Region to Konkan and western Maharashtra during Ganeshotsav, with the extra services scheduled to begin on September 11, according to a report published by Loksatta – Navi Mumbai.
The depot has planned 30 additional group-reserved services in response to increased demand for travel to villages and towns during the festival period. The report said that group reservations have received a stronger response than last year. Nine reserved buses are also scheduled to operate from Panvel towards Konkan.
The additional services will be distributed across three days. Six buses are planned for September 11, followed by 23 buses on September 12 and one bus on September 13. The report did not specify the individual routes, departure times or fares for each of these services.
Panvel is a significant departure point for residents of Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Dombivli, Kalyan and Nalasopara travelling towards Konkan during Ganeshotsav. The seasonal movement creates a sharp increase in demand for public transport as families travel to their native places for the festival.
Separately, 112 free State Transport bus services have been arranged for Ganesh devotees from Navi Mumbai by the Shiv Sena faction led by Eknath Shinde, the report said. These buses are scheduled to leave on September 11 from Airoli, Koparkhairane, Vashi, Nerul and CBD Belapur.
The free services will cover destinations in Konkan, Kolhapur and western Maharashtra. Manoj Haldankar, a corporator and group leader, said that 8,400 passengers had registered for the service. The report did not provide details of the eligibility criteria, registration process, bus allocation by location or the operating agency’s timetable.
The two arrangements are intended to provide additional travel capacity during the festival period: the Panvel depot’s services are based on ST operations and group reservations, while the 112 free buses have been arranged separately for registered passengers from Navi Mumbai. Further operational details, including departure schedules and route-wise availability, were not included in the report.
