Ahmedabad, Oct 22 (IANS) The Gujarat State Road Transport Corporation (GSRTC) will operate around 2,400 additional buses between November 4 and 7 to manage the expected Diwali travel rush, with more than 8,000 extra trips planned to connect Surat with Saurashtra, North Gujarat and other destinations across the state.
The special arrangement, being made under the leadership of Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi, will supplement regular bus services and cater to passengers travelling home to celebrate the festival with their families.
The additional buses will operate from Surat and other districts of Gujarat. The services are expected to particularly benefit diamond workers from Saurashtra who have settled in Surat, including those from Bhavnagar, Amreli, Junagadh and Rajkot districts.
Additional arrangements will also cater to passengers travelling towards Panchmahal and North Gujarat. Besides Saurashtra, the extra services will cover destinations including Ahmedabad, Rajkot, Vadodara, Mehsana, Patan and Palanpur.
The corporation plans to use the additional trips to help passengers reach their destinations safely during the festive period, when demand for public transport typically rises as people travel to their hometowns.
Passengers will be able to book seats on the additional buses through the GSRTC’s official website. Both advance and current online booking facilities will be available.
Bookings can also be made through the corporation’s divisional offices and depots. The corporation has also provided a toll-free helpline for passengers seeking information about bus operations or requiring assistance with travel-related queries.
“The helpline, 1800 233 666666, will be available round the clock,” officials said.
The additional services form part of the corporation’s arrangements for festivals and religious fairs, when increased passenger movement requires extra transport capacity.
By extending services beyond the regular schedule, the corporation aims to accommodate the additional demand during the four-day period.
The special operations will run from November 4 to 7, with the 2,400 additional buses scheduled to undertake more than 8,000 trips across the designated routes.
Passengers have been advised through the announced booking facilities to plan their journeys using the official website or the corporation’s depots and divisional offices.
–IANS
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