Patna: The Bihar State Road Transport Corporation (BSRTC) will operate more than 120 subsidised air-conditioned buses from February 15 to March 15 to support passengers travelling to other states for Holi. The initiative is designed to make long-distance travel more affordable during the festive period, when demand typically surges and ticket prices rise.
The buses will depart from Patna, Muzaffarpur, Gaya, Purnea and Darbhanga, connecting passengers to Delhi, Gurugram, Panipat, Ambala, Ranchi, Lucknow and Kolkata. Delhi will receive the highest number of services, with 62 buses scheduled, followed by Haryana with 40, Jharkhand with 10, Uttar Pradesh with two and West Bengal with five services.
According to BSRTC, significant subsidies have been introduced on key routes. On the Delhi–Patna route, the actual fare for an AC seater bus is Rs 1,873, but passengers will pay Rs 1,254, reflecting a subsidy of around Rs 619. For AC sleeper buses, the original fare of Rs 2,812 has been reduced to Rs 1,893. On longer routes such as Delhi–Darbhanga, Delhi–Purnea and Delhi–Muzaffarpur, passengers will receive discounts ranging from Rs 900 to Rs 1,000, with the Delhi–Darbhanga sleeper fare reduced from Rs 2,754 to Rs 1,796.
Subsidies have also been extended to routes from Haryana to Bihar. On the Gurugram–Patna route, the AC sleeper fare has been reduced from Rs 2,786 to Rs 1,822, while travellers on Panipat–Purnea and Faridabad–Madhubani routes will receive relief of up to Rs 1,100. Similar concessions apply on routes such as Patna–Siliguri, Patna–Kolkata, Gaya–Ranchi and Patna–Dhanbad, with reduced fares aimed at encouraging the use of state-run transport.
The fare chart released by BSRTC details discounted rates across multiple states, including Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal, covering both AC seater and sleeper categories. Officials said the move is expected to ease congestion, curb overcharging by private operators and provide safe, affordable options for migrant workers and families returning home for the festival.
