To facilitate hassle-free transit for millions of passengers heading home for Diwali, Govardhan Puja, Bhai Dooj, and Chhath Puja, the Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (UPSRTC) has commenced a comprehensive 12-day festive transit operation. Under the special operational framework active until November 17, the corporation is running over 3,000 additional buses—spanning air-conditioned Janrath coaches, standard ordinary services, and inter-city electric buses—across high-demand corridors.

Major bus terminuses in Lucknow, including Charbagh, Alambagh, and Kamta, alongside Anand Vihar and Kaushambi border depots in the Delhi-NCR zone, have transitioned into 24-hour dispatch hubs to manage passenger traffic bound for eastern Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.

High-Frequency Corridors: Buses Departing Every 10 Minutes

The core feature of this festive transit plan is the reduction of passenger wait times through short departure intervals. Across designated high-density routes connecting state capital terminals to Purvanchal, services have been configured to depart every 10 minutes.

Key routes operating on this rapid-dispatch schedule include:

• Delhi/Ghaziabad to Purvanchal Hubs: Direct express runs to Gorakhpur, Varanasi, Azamgarh, Ayodhya, and Ballia.

• Lucknow to Major Regional Centers: Accelerated departures to Kanpur, Prayagraj, Sultanpur, Gonda, Bahraich, and Basti.

• Inter-City Fleet: Modern AC Janrath coaches deployed on high-occupancy expressway alignments, complemented by feeder electric buses (e-buses) connecting urban peripheries and adjacent satellite towns.

Regional managers have been granted on-ground autonomy to deploy reserve buses whenever passenger load at any boarding terminal crosses 60%, preventing station overcrowding and unregulated private operator price surges.

3 Trips Daily and Cancelled Leaves for Operational Continuity

To maximize fleet availability, UPSRTC has rescheduled existing operational assets to complete up to three trips daily instead of the standard two, effectively scaling available seat capacity without stretching fleet maintenance limits.

To support the demanding operational cycle, the transport department has instituted strict staffing measures:

• Leave Cancellations: Routine leaves for all drivers, conductors, regional workshop technicians, and enforcement supervisory staff stand revoked for the 12-day festive period.

• Driver Incentive Packages: Operational staff completing continuous duty through the festive window receive performance bonuses of up to ₹4,800, alongside additional mileage incentives of 55 paise per kilometer for running beyond baseline thresholds.

• Passenger Safety Checks: Mandatory breathalyzer testing has been enforced at starting depots to ensure zero-tolerance towards intoxicated driving, while depot workshops conduct pre-trip mechanical checks on braking and electrical systems before clearing buses for departure.

Passenger Advisory and Booking Channels

UPSRTC has advised travelers to utilize official digital portals and authorized mobile applications for advance seat reservations on air-conditioned and long-distance sleeper/Janrath services. For short-distance regional trips and point-to-point ordinary travel, unreserved ticketing counters and digital on-bus conductor consoles remain fully operational around the clock, allowing passengers to board direct services without prior counter congestion.