Ganesh Festival Rush: MSRTC to Run 250+ Additional ST Buses from Pune to Konkan
Pune, 20th July 2025: With Ganesh Chaturthi around the corner, the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) has announced the operation of 250 to 300 additional ST buses from Pune division to Konkan, aiming to ease the travel rush of devotees heading home for the festivities.
As per the tradition, thousands of Konkan residents working or studying in Pune begin planning their annual visit weeks in advance. This year too, all regular ST bus seats from Swargate and Chinchwad depots have been booked nearly two months in advance. To accommodate the surge in demand, the Pune division of MSRTC has chalked out a plan to run additional services starting August 22 — five days ahead of Ganesh Chaturthi, which falls on August 27.
Last year, 251 extra buses were deployed from Pune to Konkan, generating additional revenue of ₹59.75 lakh. The buses catered to destinations including Chiplun, Dapoli, Ratnagiri, Khed, Devrukh, Mandangad, Tivre, Sindhudurg, and Lanja — with 124 buses from Swargate and 127 from Chinchwad.
“Like every year, this year too, we are expecting a huge crowd. Passengers are advised to make advance or group reservations to ensure smooth planning and timely departure,” said Arun Siya, Divisional Controller, MSRTC Pune. He added that details about the special buses will be available on the MSRTC website and mobile app.
To make travel more accessible, concessions will be applicable for women, senior citizens, and differently-abled passengers.
Given the challenging terrain between Pune and Konkan — marked by ghats, sharp bends, and potential rainfall disruptions — special measures have been taken for commuter safety. Repair teams will be deployed along major routes, and Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik has directed 24×7 staff deployment at key bus stations and halts under senior officer supervision.
“This time, we are running over 250 additional buses on the Konkan route for Ganeshotsav. We’ve planned operations from both Swargate and Chinchwad depots starting August 22,” added Siya.
With ST reservations nearly full and train seats rapidly filling up, these additional bus services are expected to provide much-needed relief for thousands of homebound devotees.
