The Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) has announced it will operate nearly 5,000 additional Ganpati special buses to facilitate travel from Mumbai, Thane, and Palghar districts to the Konkan region starting September 3. This move is aimed at accommodating the high volume of passengers heading to the Konkan belt for the Ganapati festivities.
Deployment of Extra Buses
In a recent release, MSRTC revealed that a total of 4,953 special buses will be deployed for this purpose. This includes 4,200 buses that have been booked by various groups. Specifically, 2,481 buses will be operated from Thane, with 2,064 of these already reserved by groups. From Mumbai, 1,841 buses will be in service, including 1,578 group-booked and 417 additional buses. Palghar will see 631 buses, comprising 558 group-booked and 73 extra buses.
The MSRTC has also announced fare concessions for senior citizens and women. Passengers above 75 years of age will receive a 100% concession, while women will benefit from a 50% discount on ticket fares for these special buses.
To ensure a smooth journey, MSRTC public relations officer Abhijit Bhosale stated that maintenance vehicles will be stationed along the Mumbai-Goa highway during the four-day period. Additionally, temporary toilet facilities will be set up at various locations for passenger convenience.
Ganapati festivities, which begin on September 7, see a massive influx of visitors to the Konkan region. With MSRTC’s extensive fleet of around 15,000 buses and a daily ridership exceeding 60 lakh passengers, the extra services are expected to ease travel and support the large number of people participating in the celebrations.