Ghaziabad: 320 UPSRTC buses to ferry Kanwariyas to Haridwar
The move is likely to create bus availability issues for commuters as the Ghaziabad region has an estimated daily ridership of about 125,000 passengers
The Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (UPSRTC) will deploy about 320 buses from its fleet of 768 in Ghaziabad region for ferrying Kanwariyas, said transport officials on Tuesday.
The move is likely to create bus availability issues for commuters as the Ghaziabad region has an estimated daily ridership of about 125,000 passengers. The reduced number of buses, combined with the large-scale traffic diversions put in place for the upcoming Kanwar Yatra from July 22, is likely to make commuting a nightmare in Ghaziabad.
UPSRTC officials said that they have 768 buses in Ghaziabad region and 320 will be deployed for ferrying Kanwariyas to Haridwar during the annual pilgrimage.
“About 200 buses from Ghaziabad and another 120 from Hapur, Bulandshahr and Khurja, will be deployed for ferrying Kanwariyas. We do not expect regular commuters to face issues as traffic diversions during Kanwar Yatra will discourage many from commuting during those days,” said Kesri Nandan Chaudhary, regional manager, UPSRTC, Ghaziabad region.
The Kanwar Yatra is carried out during the Hindu calendar month of Shravan. Thousands of pilgrims move towards Haridwar to fetch Ganga water and return to their home towns, where they offer the water to lord Shiva at prominent temples.
Bus commuters did not share Chaudhary’s views and said they do face issues each year during the Kanwar Yatra.
“The curtailed number of buses and massive diversions make daily travel difficult. During the pilgrimage, commuters are forced to heavily rely on local trains to reach places such as Meerut and Bulandshahr and many have to use private vehicles. Even if we manage to board a UPSRTC bus, the journey takes longer than usual owing to diversions,” said Sumit Kumar, a commuter at Old Bus Stand in Ghaziabad.
UPSRTC officials said their daily incoming revenue also declines by 30-40% during the Kanwar season.
The Ghaziabad traffic police have already chalked out the Kanwar route and traffic diversion plan which will be put in place from July 22.
The Kanwariya movement will take place through Delhi Meerut Road, Kanwar Marg to Tila Morh, Delhi Meerut Expressway and NH-9.
Heavy vehicles have been directed to make strict use of NH-9 and the Eastern Peripheral Expressway for onward movement towards Meerut, Haridwar, Bulandshahr and Aligarh etc.