Diwali Rush: GSRTC Plans 9,630 Extra Trips Across Gujarat, 1.45 Lakh Seats Already Booked

Around 2,400 additional buses to operate during the festive rush; Surat to run 1,600 special trips, while Nadiad leads divisions with 1,870 planned trips

With thousands of passengers expected to travel to their hometowns for Diwali, the Gujarat State Road Transport Corporation (GSRTC) has planned 9,630 additional bus trips across the state to manage the festive rush. The corporation will deploy approximately 2,400 extra buses in addition to its regular services, with special arrangements at major depots in Ahmedabad, Surat and other cities.

Advance bookings have already crossed 1.45 lakh seats for journeys scheduled between November 1 and 15, generating revenue of approximately ₹4.72 crore for the corporation.

9,630 Extra Trips Planned Across Gujarat

GSRTC has drawn up a division-wise plan to accommodate the surge in passenger demand during the Diwali holidays. The additional services will connect major cities with Saurashtra, Kutch, North Gujarat, Panchmahal and other regions.

Nadiad leads the list with 1,870 planned additional trips, followed by Surat with 1,600 and Himmatnagar with 900.

The division-wise distribution of the planned additional trips is as follows:

Surat to Operate 1,600 Special Trips

Surat, which sees substantial passenger movement towards Saurashtra and North Gujarat during the festive season, will operate 1,600 special trips between November 4 and 7.

The services will cater to passengers travelling to destinations including Bhavnagar, Amreli, Junagadh and Rajkot in Saurashtra, as well as locations in Panchmahal and North Gujarat.

Passengers can book tickets at GSRTC depots or through the corporation's official website, www.gsrtc.in.

A toll-free helpline, 1800 233 666666, will also remain operational round the clock to provide information about the special services.

Ahmedabad Division Plans Special Services for Key Routes

The Ahmedabad Division has outlined additional arrangements for the period from November 2 to 8, with services planned for Saurashtra, Kutch, North Gujarat and Panchmahal.

Saurashtra and Kutch

Approximately 30 additional trips have been made available for online booking to destinations including Salangpur, Botad, Amreli, Dhari, Savarkundla, Junagadh, Rajkot, Bhavnagar and Bhuj.

North Gujarat

Additional buses will operate towards Mehsana, Palanpur, Deesa, Himmatnagar, Khedbrahma, Ambaji, Modasa and Bayad.

Special vehicles will also be deployed for passengers travelling to Mahudi to seek darshan of Ghantakarna Mahavir on Kali Chaudash.

Panchmahal

Passengers travelling towards Dahod, Jhalod, Bariya, Santrampur and Godhra will have access to round-the-clock bus services from Ahmedabad's Gita Mandir Central Bus Station (CBS) and Odhav Ring Road.

To assist passengers during the rush, supervisory staff and additional buses will be stationed at key locations, including ISKCON, Nehru Nagar, Adalaj and CTM in Ahmedabad.

Groups of 50 or More Can Get a Special Bus

In a move aimed at making group travel more convenient, GSRTC will provide a special bus directly from the pickup point to the destination for groups of 50 or more passengers, subject to booking arrangements.

Passengers can also reserve tickets from home through the GSRTC mobile application.

To make payments easier, the corporation has introduced UPI payments through QR codes available on conductors' ticket machines, allowing passengers to purchase tickets without carrying cash.

1.45 Lakh Seats Booked in Advance, Revenue Crosses ₹4.71 Crore

Advance bookings indicate strong demand for travel during the Diwali period.

According to GSRTC data, 145,007 seats were booked online for journeys between November 1 and 15, generating revenue of ₹4,71,78,894.

The highest demand has been recorded for November 6, when 22,329 seats were booked, followed by November 7, with 20,928 bookings, and November 5, with 20,812 bookings.

The advance-booking figures for the four peak travel dates are:

With additional buses, dedicated services for popular routes and advance-booking facilities, GSRTC is preparing to manage the Diwali travel rush across Gujarat. Passengers planning their journeys are advised to book tickets in advance and check service availability through the corporation's official channels.