Gandhinagar (Gujarat) [India], September 21 (ANI): The Gujarat State Road Transport Corporation (GSRTC) launched special ‘Extra Bus Services’ and flagged off new buses for pilgrims visiting Ambaji for the Bhadarvi Poonam Mela-2026.
Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi inaugurated the services in the presence of Minister of State for Transport Pravin Mali and Minister of State for Urban Development Darshana Vaghela, a release said.
Until September 26, the Palanpur, Mehsana, Himatnagar and Ahmedabad divisions will run special bus services for the Ambaji Fair. Around 1,000 buses will operate nearly 30,000 additional trips, benefiting about 15 lakh pilgrims. To assist pilgrims, 10 booths have been set up at Ambaji with supervisors and booth in-charges on duty.
For the convenience of pilgrims, continuous bus services will operate on major routes including Ambaji to Gabbar, Abu Road, Danta, Deesa, Palanpur and Siddhpur; Ambaji to Mehsana, Visnagar, Becharaji, Vadnagar and Kheralu; as well as Ambaji to Himatnagar, Idar, Khedbrahma, Ahmedabad, Shamlaji and Bhiloda.
The Transport Department has provided special facilities for pilgrims, including ST bus services, temporary shelters, drinking water, public toilets, mic announcements, booth in-charge contact numbers, and guidance through hoardings and banners to ensure a smooth and convenient journey.
Cranes, mechanic teams, ambulances and fire-fighting vehicles have been deployed at the depots, while a GPS-based Central Control Room has been set up to monitor all buses in real time. In 2025, around 900 buses operated 28,506 trips and served 13.09 lakh passengers. The ST Corporation is fully prepared to provide safe and comfortable travel to lakhs of devotees visiting the Ambaji Bhadarvi Poonam Fair.
The event was attended by Principal Secretary of the Transport Department Hareet Shukla, Ahmedabad Mayor Hitesh Barot, and MLAs Amit Thaker, Hasmukh Patel, Amul Bhatt, Kaushik Jain and Dinesh Kushwaha and other dignitaries. (ANI)
Gujarat Dy CM Harsh Sanghavi flags off new buses for Bhadarvi Poonam Mela
