Raksha Bandhan: Festive rush puts Lko bus network under pressure

Lucknow bus stations saw heavy passenger traffic as women traveled home for Raksha Bandhan. UPSRTC offered free bus travel for women until August 29, increasing trips.

A heavy rush of passengers was reported at Lucknow bus stations on Thursday as women began travelling to their hometowns for Raksha Bandhan. Buses bound mostly for Eastern UP filled up soon after arriving at major terminals.

Passengers, including women, boarding an already crowded UPSRTC bus at Awadh bus station (HT Photo)

Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (UPSRTC) began its free travel facility for women on Thursday. The scheme will remain in force until midnight on August 29, with the Corporation increasing bus trips on routes witnessing higher demand.

The biggest rush was reported on services towards Gorakhpur, Azamgarh, Gonda and Bahraich. Additional trips are also being operated on the Delhi and Kanpur routes, officials said.

Lucknow regional manager Vimal Rajan said, “We have deployed additional buses and increased the number of trips according to passenger demand. The focus is on reducing waiting time at bus stations and ensuring that women travelling for Raksha Bandhan can reach their destinations without unnecessary delays.”

At Charbagh and Awadh bus stations, passengers were seen waiting for buses as several buses arrived already crowded. Women travelling towards eastern UP said they had to wait for multiple buses before finding space.

“We have been waiting for a bus to Gorakhpur for nearly an hour. The buses are arriving full and there is hardly any space to board. We will wait for another one because travelling by a private vehicle would be expensive,” said one of the passengers, Kamla Prajapati from Barabanki.

At Awadh Bus Station, Kamta, the unprecedented festive rush kept staff on their toes throughout the day. Station in-charge Ankit Upadhyay said it was the first time that he had seen such a large crowd at the terminal, largely driven by the free bus travel facility for Raksha Bandhan.

“Despite the exceptionally heavy footfall, the movement of passengers remained orderly and no accident or untoward incident was reported during the day,” he said.

Lucknow region is operating nearly 1000 buses during the festival period, with additional trips being planned depending on the rush. Officials said buses will be deployed on routes where passenger numbers increase.

4.6 lakh availed the facility last year

Last year, 4.61 lakh women and attendants availed the facility in the Lucknow region over three days. Across UP, around 80 lakh women and attendants travelled under the scheme during Raksha Bandhan. With the rush expected to increase on Friday and Saturday, transport officials said they would continue monitoring passenger movement and add trips wherever required.