The Uttar Pradesh roadways will operate special buses to tackle the rush of passengers during this Holi season. Check details here.

Holi 2024: The Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (UPSRTC) will run special buses to tackle the festive rush during this Holi season and ensure hassle-free journeys for commuters, officials said Friday. According to an official statement, the state-owned roadways will operate special buses from March 22 to April 1, 2024.

The move comes amid the anticipated rush which is expected during this festive season with Holi falling on March 24 and 25, followed by the consecutive holidays of Good Friday and a weekend, officials said.

“A surge in interstate and intrastate travel is expected across Uttar Pradesh during this Holi season and as such, in order to ensure hassle-free travel for residents, special buses will be operated from March 22 to April 1,” the state government said in a statement on Thursday.

Additionally, to ensure efficient service delivery, the transport corporation will provide incentive allowances to its drivers and conductors, it said, adding that due to the expected surge in passengers, the leaves of officers and employees have been cancelled for 10 days.

Special buses from Delhi

State Transport minister Dayashankar Singh said that during the incentive period, an increased number of buses will be operated to take travellers from Delhi towards the eastern parts of the state, ensuring that they reach their destinations in time for the celebrations.

Similar arrangements will be made for traffic management in Lucknow and Kanpur. Eastern region may operate additional services during this period, if it gets more than 60 per cent of passenger load from the originating point to Ghaziabad, Delhi and other locations in the Western region, Singh said.

During the incentive scheme period, all transport corporation buses should operate continuously. Additional assemblies and spare parts should be made available in each depot from the headquarters and regional levels, Singh added.

Buses as per passenger demand

According to the directives issued by the Principal Manager (Operations) of the Transport Corporation, Manoj Kumar, Regional Managers of Ghaziabad, Lucknow, and Kanpur will oversee the transportation arrangements.

They will establish coordination among regions in case of any difficulties and if they need additional buses.

Buses will be arranged according to the availability of passengers, the statement read.

(With PTI inputs)