UP Roadways will operate 300 additional buses from seven depots in the Ghaziabad region for passengers travelling home during Diwali and Chhath, with services planned on routes connecting Delhi-NCR to several districts across Uttar Pradesh. The additional operations are intended to reduce waiting times and ease overcrowding at major bus terminals during the festival period.
According to regional manager K.N. Chaudhary, the transport corporation is preparing to start the additional services from November 5. Buses will be deployed from seven depots in the Ghaziabad region and will operate from Anand Vihar and Kaushambi bus terminals based on passenger demand.
The arrangement will cover routes from Delhi to Lucknow, Bareilly, Hardoi, Azamgarh, Sonauli, Badaun, Mainpuri, Kanpur and the Etah-Aligarh corridor. The fleet will include 243 ordinary buses, 55 Janrath buses, AC Shatabdi buses and two high-end buses, according to the report.
Badaun will receive the largest allocation, with 70 buses assigned to the route. The transport corporation has also planned round-the-clock staff deployment for operating and monitoring the services. Personnel will be stationed at Lal Kuan, Mohan Nagar intersection and Sector 62 to regulate the movement of buses and help manage passenger demand along the routes.
Kaushambi bus depot will have a temporary assistance centre for travellers. Six employees will work in three shifts to provide information about bus routes, schedules, availability and destinations. The centre will also assist elderly passengers, women and people with disabilities in finding the appropriate services and obtaining route information.
The additional arrangement is focused on passengers leaving the Delhi-NCR area for their hometowns. Kaushambi depot is expected to see significant passenger movement during the festival period, while buses from Anand Vihar and Kaushambi will be dispatched according to crowd levels. The report did not specify a separate online booking system or a detailed timetable for the additional services.
The deployment reflects the operational pressure placed on intercity public transport during major festivals, when large numbers of workers, students and families travel from the National Capital Region to towns and districts in Uttar Pradesh. In this case, the transport corporation has combined additional fleet capacity with fixed staff deployment at terminals and intermediate points.
The corporation also plans to play devotional and folk music on buses during Diwali and Chhath, including songs associated with the festivals. This arrangement is intended to provide a festival-related travel experience for passengers on longer journeys.
The additional buses are scheduled to begin operating on November 5. Their deployment, route allocation and monitoring will be managed through the seven depots in the Ghaziabad region, with passenger assistance available at Kaushambi bus depot in three shifts.
