Ahmedabad’s State Transport division is planning around 1,800 extra buses for Diwali travel between November 2 and November 8, with additional services from major city bus stands to Saurashtra, Kutch, central Gujarat and other destinations, according to a report by Divya Bhaskar.
The special operation is being organised to manage the expected rise in passengers travelling to their hometowns and visiting destinations during the Diwali holiday period. Additional buses are planned on routes from Ahmedabad towards Sanand, Botad, Amreli, Junagadh, Rajkot and Bhuj, as well as destinations across Saurashtra, Kutch and Kathiawad.
The Ahmedabad ST division will also operate additional services towards Dahod, Jhalod, Bariya, Santrampur and Godhra in the Panchmahal region. The report said that bus services would be increased further on routes where passenger demand is higher.
The extra services will operate from several Ahmedabad bus stands, including Geeta Mandir, Naroda, Krishnanagar, Bapunagar and Ranip. The arrangement is intended to spread passenger movement across the city’s bus network rather than concentrate all festive travel at a single terminal.
The plan also includes a group booking facility for passengers travelling together. Under the service, a society, organisation or other group can book an entire bus for a destination. The bus will then be sent to the society or group’s locality, where passengers can board before travelling directly to their destination.
This door-to-door arrangement is intended to reduce the difficulty of travelling with luggage to Geeta Mandir or another main bus stand. It may be particularly useful for residential societies, community groups and organisations arranging collective Diwali travel.
The Ahmedabad ST division’s plan reflects the seasonal pressure placed on intercity public transport during the festival period. Passenger demand typically rises as residents leave Ahmedabad for their hometowns and as families undertake holiday travel. For the transport system, the challenge is not only adding capacity but also positioning buses on routes and at locations where demand is highest.
The announced operating window covers seven days, from November 2 to November 8. The report did not specify the detailed timetable, fares, booking opening dates or the precise allocation of the approximately 1,800 buses across individual routes. It also did not provide a route-wise breakdown of the additional services.
According to the reported plan, the Ahmedabad ST division will adjust operations according to passenger numbers during the travel period. Further additional buses are to be deployed on routes where demand exceeds available regular services.
