Ahmedabad, Aug 26: The Gujarat State Road Transport Corporation (GSRTC) will operate around 6,500 additional bus trips across Gujarat from August 26 to 30 to meet the anticipated surge in passenger demand during the Raksha Bandhan festival.
Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi on Wednesday flagged off 101 newly inducted ST buses at Gandhinagar as part of the state transport corporation’s efforts to strengthen public transport services during the festive period.
The newly inducted fleet comprises 71 Super Express buses, 20 Midi buses and 10 Sleeper Coach buses. Several of these buses will also be deployed for special Raksha Bandhan services.
Special services have been planned on routes connecting major cities, including Ahmedabad, Surat, Vadodara and Rajkot, as well as key pilgrimage destinations such as Ambaji, Pavagadh and Somnath.
GSRTC has made advance booking facilities available both online and at ST depots, enabling passengers to plan their journeys in advance and avoid inconvenience during the festival rush.
Last year, the corporation operated 6,402 additional trips during the Raksha Bandhan period, carrying approximately 3.33 lakh passengers. In view of the expected increase in demand this year, GSRTC has raised the number of additional trips to 6,500.
Speaking at the bus induction programme, Science and Technology Minister Arjun Modhwadia said the introduction of the new buses was part of the state government’s efforts under Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi to provide safe, convenient and comfortable public transport to citizens, employees and students.
“Special bus services have been introduced on new routes ahead of Raksha Bandhan to make travel easier for people travelling from different parts of Gujarat,” Modhwadia said.
As part of the programme, women conductors of the ST Corporation tied rakhis to Sanghavi as an advance celebration of Raksha Bandhan.
Officials said ST drivers, conductors and operational staff would continue to provide round-the-clock services during the festival, ensuring uninterrupted transportation for passengers even as transport employees remain on duty.
Sanghavi congratulated the ST Corporation’s employees for their dedicated service and thanked them for ensuring transport facilities for passengers across the state. He also inspected one of the newly launched buses.
The corporation has appealed to passengers to make use of the additional services and advance booking facilities during the five-day period to ensure smoother and more convenient travel during the festival rush.