Pune: Private luxury buses plying from the city to various destinations across the state recorded a rise in passengers during the first three days of Ganeshotsav. Operators told TOI that they are witnessing around 25% upward spike in footfall. Many added that they expect the rush to sustain over the weekend, with scores of devotees set to visit their homes for the festival. Locations like Sangamwadi, Nagar Road, Swargate, and Hadapsar, where private buses halt to pick up commuters, have been reporting significant crowds this week. Ashish Kulkarni, who travelled to Jalgaon on Friday in a private bus, said, “We are travelling together as a family for Ganeshotsav, and will return to Pune after the weekend.” Shivam Pawte, a college student, said he and his friends travelled to their native place in Jalna district on Thursday in a private bus. “We did not face any overcharging by operators despite the rise in footfall,” he told TOI. At least 700 private buses travel out of Pune city every day. Operators said arrangements have also been made for additional buses in case the rush increases. Balasaheb Khedekar, head of the Private Bus Operators’ Association, said, “Overall operations have gone up by around 25%. The rush went up since Tuesday night and has continued. We also expect a similar crowd for return trips.” Public transport also preparedBesides private buses, Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) is also operating 150 additional buses for Ganeshotsav, most of which are headed to various locations in Konkan. ST officials told TOI that they are noting around 15% increase in commuters’ rush since last week, which is being managed by plying additional bus trips. The Pune division of MSRTC plans to operate additional buses from Konkan, Raigad, and other areas to Pune for the return journeys of travellers. For local commuters, Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Ltd (PMPML) has extended bus services on some routes until late night. At least 270 buses will be operational from Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) areas, while over 700 bus trips are planned in Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) and nearby areas until the end of the Ganesh festival. Buses will be introduced as per requirements, PMPML officials said.
