Jharkhand Bus Services Increased: Bus travel is becoming a popular option for people leaving Jharkhand to celebrate Diwali and Chhath with their families. With train waiting lists growing longer and flight tickets becoming expensive, bus operators in Ranchi and Jamshedpur have increased the number of services on inter-state routes.
The demand is mainly coming from students, migrant workers and employees who want to return to their hometowns in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and other states. Diwali will be celebrated on November 8, while Chhath Puja falls on November 15 this year.
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Ranchi Sees More Bookings for Bihar and Other States
Bus operators in Ranchi have reported a sharp rise in advance bookings for travel to Bihar, West Bengal, Odisha and Chhattisgarh. Many people have already started making travel plans to avoid last-minute problems.
According to the Jharkhand State Bus Owners’ Association, more than 100 buses run between Ranchi and Patna every day. Around 15 buses also operate daily on each of the routes connecting Ranchi with Kolkata, Bhubaneswar and Raipur.
Mantri of the association said that people are choosing buses because getting confirmed train tickets has become difficult. Higher flight fares are also pushing more passengers towards road travel.
“Bus operators are doing brisk business this year. People working in Ranchi have already started travelling to their hometowns. The unavailability of train tickets and high airfares have worked in favour of bus operators,” Mantri said.
Jamshedpur Adds 50 Extra Buses for Festive Travel
Bus services have also increased in Jamshedpur to handle the growing number of passengers. The Sitaramdera inter-state bus terminal normally manages around 100 buses every day. This number has now reached nearly 150.
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Uday Sharma, president of the Jamshedpur Bus Owners’ Welfare Association, said around 50 additional buses have been added to different routes. He also expects bookings to rise further as the festivals get closer.
“There has been an increase in the number of buses operating on different routes. Around 50 additional buses have been added, but the festive rush has not started yet. We expect demand to rise sharply two days before Diwali and continue after the festival. Many passengers are booking in advance,” Uday Sharma said.
The number of buses going to Bihar has increased from around 85 to 105. Popular destinations include Patna, Chhapra, Siwan, Ara, Muzaffarpur, Bhagalpur, Nawada and Bihar Sharif.
Bus Fares Remain Mostly Unchanged
Despite the increase in bookings and additional services, operators in Jamshedpur said bus fares haven’t seen any major change. This is helping passengers who couldn’t find train tickets for their preferred travel dates.
Many workers are now depending on buses to reach their families before the festivals. Sunil Gupta, a worker from Adityapur, said he had to change his travel plan after failing to get a train ticket.
“I wanted to travel by train, but tickets were unavailable. I booked a bus ticket so I can be with my family in Siwan for Diwali and Chhath,” he said.
