Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru
Bengaluru, Sep 4: With lakhs of people expected to head home for the Gowri-Ganesha festival, the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) is gearing up for the festive rush with 2,400 additional special buses from Bengaluru.
The festival comes alongside a string of holidays, with the weekend falling on September 12 and 13 (Saturday and Sunday) and Vinayaka Chaturthi on September 14. With thousands of families expected to leave the city for their native places, KSRTC has made arrangements to handle the surge in passenger traffic and minimise inconvenience.
Special bus schedule
Departures from Bengaluru: Special buses will operate from Bengaluru to various districts across Karnataka and destinations in other states from September 11 to 13.
Return journey: From September 14 onwards, special buses will operate to Bengaluru from various destinations across Karnataka and from interstate locations for passengers returning after the festival.
Where will the buses run?
The special services will operate from key Bengaluru terminals, including Kempegowda Bus Station (Majestic), Mysuru Road Bus Station and Shanthinagar, connecting passengers to major destinations.
Within Karnataka: Services will cover Dharmasthala, Kukke Subrahmanya, Shivamogga, Hassan, Mangaluru, Belagavi, Hubballi, Dharwad, Davangere, Vijayapura, Kalaburagi, Mysuru and various parts of North Karnataka.
Interstate: Buses will also connect Bengaluru with Tirupati, Vijayawada, Hyderabad, Chennai, Coimbatore, Ooty and Panaji, among other destinations.
Advance booking brings discounts
To make festive travel smoother, passengers can book tickets in advance through the official KSRTC website or the KSRTC mobile app.
Passengers travelling in a group of four or more and booking together on a single ticket will get a 5% discount.
Those booking onward and return (round-trip) tickets together will receive a 10% discount on the return journey fare.
KSRTC has urged passengers to plan ahead and book through its official website to avoid last-minute rushes and the steep fares often charged by private bus operators, while ensuring a safe and comfortable journey.