Title - MSRTC flooded with group bus bookings for Ganesh festival

MUMBAI: The MSRTC is flooded with requests for group bookings of buses from Mumbai to Konkan during the forthcoming Ganesh festival season.More than 1,000 buses will ply as part of the group bookings, sources said. The group bookings close on Saturday. "Every year, we have a huge rush of passengers, both by train and buses, from Mumbai to their native villages in Konkan during Ganpati festival,'' said MSRTC public relations officer Mukund Dhus.At least 60,000 to nearly a lakh passengers travel to Konkan by bus and almost double the number travel by train, sources said. Said Dhus, "The MSRTC plans to run 1,556 additional buses as special service during the Ganesh festival." These buses will operate from September 14 to 19 and bookings can done one month in advance. Dhus said that at least 500 buses will be available for reservation, which can be done over the official website of MSRTC or at the reservation centres at the depots. For the return journey, the MSRTC will run additional buses between September 23 and 30."Last year we ran 1,479 extra buses to Konkan, but this season we have increased the numbers," he added. Said Girish Dixit, a passenger, "Ganpati festival is a big fest in Maharashtra and it is difficult getting a confirmed berth in trains plying on Konkan railway. Most of us depend on the MSRTC buses as the private buses charge exorbitant fares on the same route." ends