Pune ST Division to Operate 1,200 Extra Buses for Diwali Rush from November 4 to 7
Pune, 27th October 2026: The Pune division of the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) will operate 1,200 additional buses from November 4 to 7 to cater to the Diwali rush, with 900 buses earmarked for Vidarbha, Khandesh and Marathwada and 300 for destinations in western Maharashtra.
The special services will operate from Swargate, Wakdewadi (Shivajinagar) and Pimpri-Chinchwad depots to accommodate the thousands of people travelling to their hometowns for the festival, Pune ST division controller Arun Siya said.
Lakhs of people live in Pune for employment, education and business and travel home during Diwali. With railway reservations filling up nearly two months in advance, the demand for state transport buses rises sharply closer to the festival. The additional services aim to ease overcrowding and prevent inconvenience to passengers. Online reservations for the special buses have already begun.
This year, the ST administration has planned to operate more than 900 special buses for Marathwada, Vidarbha and Khandesh from the Pimpri-Chinchwad depot. Earlier, additional buses for these regions operated from the Khadki Cantonment area, which was considered inconvenient for passengers.
The Wakdewadi area opposite the bus stand could not be used because the land belongs to the Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA). The Pimpri-Chinchwad depot, which is directly connected to the Metro network, is expected to offer passengers easier access. The administration has also hired a nearby ground for parking the additional buses.
Meanwhile, 300 additional buses will operate from Swargate for passengers travelling to western Maharashtra and the Konkan region. Special services will also run from the Shivajinagar (Wakdewadi) bus station.
Regular bus services will continue during the period, and the ST administration has made arrangements to manage the increased passenger traffic at bus stations.
“From November 4 to 7, we will operate 1,200 additional buses from Pimpri-Chinchwad, Swargate and Shivajinagar for Diwali travellers. Passengers should book their tickets in advance and opt for safe travel with the corporation,” Siya said.
