The Gujarat State Road Transport Corporation will operate 1,600 additional buses during Diwali to help workers and other passengers travelling from Surat to their hometowns, Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi said at a press conference in the city on October 11.
The special services will focus on routes towards Saurashtra and north-eastern Gujarat, including Saurashtra, Panchmahal, Dahod, Godadara and Nizar. Sanghavi said the arrangements were intended to enable workers who live and work in Surat to return home and celebrate Diwali with their families.
The announcement builds on the state transport undertaking’s arrangements last year. In 2025, GSRTC operated 1,259 extra buses during the Diwali period, including 450 buses that ran directly from workers’ locations to their villages under the “home to village” arrangement, according to Sanghavi.
This year’s plan increases the announced number of additional buses by 341 over last year’s total. The minister said routes towards Saurashtra and Panchmahal would receive particular attention because passenger demand on those corridors is higher. The announcement did not specify the operating dates, departure schedules or the number of buses assigned to each individual route.
Sanghavi appealed to passengers to complete their bookings in advance. He said the booking data would help GSRTC assess how many additional services were still required. If passenger numbers rise, the corporation will arrange more buses immediately, he said.
The special services are significant for Surat’s migrant-worker population, whose seasonal travel places additional pressure on intercity public transport during Diwali. By using advance bookings to estimate demand, GSRTC will be able to identify route-level requirements before the main travel rush, according to the minister’s statement. The supplied announcement did not provide projected passenger numbers or details of additional boarding points.
At the same press conference, Sanghavi also issued a safety warning to organisers of large Navratri garba events. He urged them not to show any laxity or negligence in following fire-safety rules, stressing that the safety of participants and citizens must remain the first priority.
The statement places the responsibility for compliance on event organisers as Navratri celebrations approach. It did not list specific fire-safety measures, inspection procedures, penalties or the authorities responsible for monitoring individual venues. The announcement also did not state whether any additional safety guidelines or venue-wise checks would be issued.
For passengers, the immediate next step is advance booking through GSRTC so that the corporation can measure demand and add services where necessary. The final deployment of buses will depend on booking numbers and passenger requirements, as outlined by the deputy chief minister.
