The Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) will operate more than 600 special buses from Pune between November 4 and 7 to manage the expected surge in passenger traffic during the Diwali holidays, with services planned from Pimpri Chinchwad, Swargate and Shivajinagar bus stations.
The additional services are being introduced as reservations on regular MSRTC buses are filling up and train reservations are also nearing capacity. The special buses are intended to provide an additional travel option for passengers leaving Pune for their hometowns during the festival period.
More than 400 of the special buses will operate from the Pimpri Chinchwad depot. These services will primarily connect Pune with destinations in Marathwada, Vidarbha and Khandesh. MSRTC has hired a nearby ground to park the additional buses, while the depot’s connectivity to the metro network is expected to improve access for passengers.
The decision to use Pimpri Chinchwad follows difficulties with earlier arrangements. Additional buses serving the same regions had previously operated from the Khadki Cantonment area, but the location was considered inconvenient for passengers. MSRTC also explored a site opposite the Wakdewadi bus station, but the location could not be secured because it is under the Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority.
Swargate bus station will operate 200 additional buses for western Maharashtra and the Konkan region. The planned destinations include Satara, Sangli, Kolhapur and Solapur. Additional services will also be arranged from Shivajinagar bus station, although the report did not specify the final number of buses from that location.
Regular MSRTC services will continue during the period. The corporation is appointing officials to coordinate the additional operations and manage the expected rush at the bus stations. The arrangements will need to cover bus parking, passenger movement, boarding operations and coordination between the three departure points.
Demand is already visible in the regular booking figures. More than 85 regular buses operating from the Pune division to Vidarbha, Marathwada and western Maharashtra have been fully booked for Diwali, according to the report. The bookings indicate that the festival exodus is placing pressure on both road and rail travel capacity from the city.
Online reservations for the special buses are expected to open within two days of the announcement. Passengers will be able to book tickets through the MSRTC official website, its mobile application and reservation counters. The corporation has not provided, in the supplied information, the detailed timetable or fare structure for the additional services.
