As the festival of Ganeshotsav approaches, bus stations across Mumbai are witnessing heavy footfall, with thousands of devotees heading back to their hometowns to celebrate the ten-day festival. Families across the city are booking their journeys well in advance, eager to participate in rituals and festivities in their native villages. The Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) has announced a major travel push, deploying over 5,200 additional buses between August 23 and September 7. This initiative is aimed at easing passenger rush and ensuring smooth travel for devotees making their way to different parts of Maharashtra.
Maharashtra Transport Minister and MSRTC Chairman Pratap Sarnaik recently revealed that nearly 5,103 special buses, including 4,479 group reservation buses, have already been fully booked ahead of the festival. In a bid to make travel more affordable, he also announced special concessions: senior citizens under the ‘Amrut Yojana’ will travel free of cost, while other senior citizens and women passengers will enjoy a 50 percent fare discount under group bookings. Officials said this has significantly increased demand, with commuters rushing to secure tickets. Extra staff and dedicated help desks are now active at major depots.
The biggest crowd buildup has been reported at Mumbai’s prominent bus depots, including Dadar, Borivali, Kurla, and Thane, where queues stretch long hours before departure. Passengers heading towards Konkan, especially Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg, and Raigad, are finding ST buses as their most reliable mode of transport, thanks to their deep village connectivity. For many Konkanites living in Mumbai, the annual journey home for Ganpati is more than just travel — it is an emotional tradition. Officials highlighted that despite rising demand, MSRTC continues to maintain schedules efficiently with additional workforce support.
According to an official MSRTC statement, starting Sunday, the special buses have begun departing from key depots in Mumbai, Thane, and Palghar. Unlike private operators, MSRTC ensures direct connectivity to even remote villages and hamlets, which is why demand remains consistently high every year during Ganeshotsav. Extra measures like crowd control arrangements, security staff, and systematic boarding have been put in place to manage the festival rush. Authorities expect the crowd at ST depots to peak in the coming week as the festival begins, marking yet another year where public transport becomes the lifeline of festive travel.