- GSRTC steps up festival mobility with 6,500 additional trips across Gujarat from August 26-30
- Deputy CM Harsh Sanghavi flags off 101 new ST buses in Gandhinagar
- New fleet includes 71 Super Express, 20 Midi and 10 Sleeper Coach buses
- Special services to connect Ahmedabad, Surat, Vadodara, Rajkot and key pilgrimage centres
- Online and depot-level advance booking opened as corporation prepares for peak festive demand
NE BUSINESS BUREAU
GANDHINAGAR, AUG 26
For Gujarat’s sisters travelling home for Raksha Bandhan, the road to family reunions is getting an extra push. With festive travel expected to surge across the state, the Gujarat State Road Transport Corporation (GSRTC) has rolled out an unprecedentedly broad transport plan—6,500 additional bus trips in five days, backed by 101 newly inducted buses flagged off from Gandhinagar on Wednesday by Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi.
The special operations will run from August 26 to 30, covering high-demand inter-city routes as well as major pilgrimage destinations. The move expands on last year’s Raksha Bandhan arrangements, when GSRTC operated 6,402 additional trips and carried around 3.33 lakh passengers.
101 new buses join festive mobility drive
The 101 buses flagged off by Sanghavi comprise 71 Super Express, 20 Midi and 10 Sleeper Coach buses. The newly inducted fleet will also be deployed for the Raksha Bandhan special services, giving GSRTC additional capacity precisely when family travel is expected to hit its festive peak.
The additional services will focus on routes linking major cities including Ahmedabad, Surat, Vadodara and Rajkot, besides prominent pilgrimage centres such as Ambaji, Pavagadh and Somnath. Other reports based on the state’s announcement indicate that additional services will also be deployed on routes connecting places such as Godhra, Palanpur, Nadiad, Junagadh, Porbandar and Valsad, according to passenger demand.
From 6,402 trips to 6,500
The scale-up follows a heavy response to last year’s special services.
GSRTC had operated 6,402 additional trips during the previous Raksha Bandhan period, ferrying approximately 3.33 lakh passengers. This year, the corporation has raised the target to 6,500 additional trips, reflecting expectations of an even stronger festive travel movement.
The five-day operation will run alongside regular services, while additional buses can be deployed on routes according to passenger demand. Advance booking has also been made available through online channels and at ST depots, allowing passengers to plan their journeys ahead of the rush.
“Travel easier for people travelling from different parts”
Science and Technology Minister Arjun Modhwadia said the new fleet and special services were part of the state government’s effort to make public transport safer and more convenient for citizens, employees and students.
“Special bus services had been introduced on new routes ahead of Raksha Bandhan to make travel easier for people travelling from different parts of Gujarat,” he said.
The minister said the initiative was being undertaken under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi, with the focus on convenient, safe and comfortable public transportation.
When ST staff stay back, families move forward
The launch also carried a distinctly festive touch, with women conductors of the ST Corporation tying rakhis to Sanghavi in an advance Raksha Bandhan celebration.
Behind the extra trips, however, is a workforce that will spend the festival on the road rather than at home.
GSRTC drivers, conductors and operational personnel continue to provide round-the-clock services during major festivals, ensuring that passengers can reach their families even as many transport employees remain on duty.
Sanghavi congratulated the corporation’s employees and thanked them for maintaining transport services across the state during the festive period. He also inspected one of the newly launched buses.
The corporation has appealed to passengers to make full use of the special services and book tickets in advance to avoid last-minute congestion.
With thousands of extra trips added to the timetable and a fresh fleet entering service, Gujarat’s ST network is preparing to turn one of the state’s busiest festive travel periods into a smoother journey—so that the final destination remains what Raksha Bandhan is really about: getting home.
