The MSRTC Pune division will operate 1,200 additional buses during the Diwali festive season, targeting daily capacity for around one lakh passengers travelling from Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad to destinations across Maharashtra.
The special services will connect the Pune region with destinations in western Maharashtra, Vidarbha and Marathwada. The additional buses are intended to accommodate the seasonal rise in demand as people who live in Pune for employment, business and education travel to their native places for Diwali.
The planned fleet expansion is twice the number of additional buses operated by the Pune division during last year’s Diwali season. Around 600 extra buses were run from Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad in 2025. MSRTC has increased the planned deployment to 1,200 this year in response to the expected passenger rush.
The additional services are also expected to give passengers an alternative when railway reservations are difficult to obtain. They may help reduce dependence on private buses during the festive period, when fares can rise beyond the budgets of many travellers. The services will also be used to manage crowding at bus stations as demand increases.
Arun Siya, divisional controller of MSRTC’s Pune division, said the additional buses had been planned to help passengers travel to their hometowns safely and with fewer difficulties during Diwali. “Diwali sees a large number of people travelling to their hometowns. To avoid inconvenience and provide safe travel facilities, we have planned to operate 1,200 additional buses from the Pune division this year. We will increase the number of buses if required, depending on passenger demand and the crowd at bus stations,” Siya said.
The announcement places Pune’s public bus network at the centre of the city’s annual festive mobility surge. Pune’s large population of residents from other parts of Maharashtra creates a predictable but sharply concentrated travel demand around Diwali, requiring transport operators to add capacity beyond regular schedules.
MSRTC said the number of buses could be increased further depending on passenger demand and the crowd situation at bus stations. The final scale of deployment will therefore be adjusted according to travel patterns during the festive period.
