The Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) said that it would operate nearly 5,000 extra Ganpati special buses from Mumbai, Thane and Palghar districts for Konkan region from September 3.
In a release, the state-owned undertaking said 4,953 Ganapati special extra buses will be operated, including 4,200 buses that had been booked by groups.
“Of these, 2,481, including 2064 that had been booked by groups, will be operated from Thane. Of the 1,841 buses that will be operated from Mumbai, 1578 will be those that are group-booked, while 417 will be extra buses. In Palghar, of the 631 buses, a total of 558 are of group booking and 73 will be extra buses,” it said.
The majority of bookings have come from the Thane region, with 2,481 buses reserved, followed by 1,841 in the Mumbai region and 631 in the Palghar region. These buses will depart from major bus depots in Mumbai, Thane, and Palghar, ensuring a timely and safe arrival for festival-goers in Konkan.
Additionally, MSRTC is offering substantial fare discounts to attract more passenger footfall. The transport body has announced 100 per cent concession in ticket fare to passengers above 75 years of age and 50 per cent concession to women will be applicable in these 4,953 special buses.
MSRTC public relations officer Abhijit Bhosale said maintenance vehicles will be placed on Mumbai-Goa highway during the four-day period and temporary toilet facilities will be provided at various places for the convenience of the passengers.
Lakhs of people travel to their native and coastal areas in the Konkan region from Mumbai and Thane every year during the 10-day Ganpati festival, slated to start from September 7.
"The overwhelming demand for MSRTC's services has led to the near-full booking of all available buses, prompting the corporation to consider deploying more special buses to meet the demand" said an official.
Meanwhile, last year around 4000 Ganpati Special bus service were operated by the MSRTC.
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