Post-Diwali rush leaves Delhi-bound Lucknow people scrambling for bus seats

According to the Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation, 1.15 lakh passengers travelled from Delhi to Lucknow by bus over four days during Diwali.

Passengers returning to Delhi after Diwali are struggling to find bus seats from Lucknow, with online-bookable services on the route reported to be full until November 15. The return rush follows a rise in arrivals from Delhi during the festival, even as fewer buses were operated compared with last year.

The number of buses operated during the festival fell from 1,052 to 945. (Sunil Ghosh/ HT Photo/ Representational)

According to figures shared by the Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (UPSRTC), 1.15 lakh passengers travelled from Delhi to Lucknow by bus over four days during Diwali, against 1.03 lakh last year. The number of buses operated during the festival, however, fell from 1,052 to 945.

“Fewer buses were operated this Diwali compared with last year, while more passengers arrived in Lucknow from Delhi during the four festival days. Anticipating the return rush, we have kept 30 buses in reserve. Traffic inspectors have also been deployed at bus stations to monitor passenger numbers and bus availability,” said Vimal Rajan, regional manager, UPSRTC, Lucknow region.

Arrangements for Delhi-bound passengers

The corporation has deployed 107 buses for Delhi-bound passengers, comprising 50 ordinary buses, 37 air-conditioned Janrath buses and 20 air-conditioned Eicher buses. More than 100 buses will operate towards Delhi via the Agra Expressway until November 17 as part of the festival arrangements.

Traffic inspectors have been posted at Alambagh, Kaiserbagh and Awadh bus stations to assess demand and coordinate services. Despite the additional deployment, the shortage of bookable seats has left passengers with limited scope to secure their journeys in advance.

The corporation also expects a rise in passengers travelling from Delhi to Lucknow on Saturday and Sunday. The 30 reserve buses are intended to meet additional demand as required.

Private services are witnessing heavy bookings too. According to the information provided, more than 230 private buses are operating on the Lucknow–Delhi route, with nearly 90% of their seats already booked. This figure relates to private services overall, while the reported unavailability until November 15 concerns online-bookable services.

Some passengers unable to secure bus seats are turning to private taxis. Long-distance bookings on app-based taxi services reportedly rose by 10–12% during Diwali compared with the preceding days, though the booking platform and comparison period were not specified.