Varanasi-Gaya Bus Service: Passengers travelling from Uttar Pradesh to Bihar have reason to cheer. A new direct bus service from Varanasi to Gaya has been launched, which will operate seven days a week. The service has been started especially for devotees visiting Gaya for Pinddaan and Tarpan rituals during Pitru Paksha. Officials said the route and facilities have been designed keeping both passenger safety and convenience in mind.

Transport Minister Dayashankar Singh told jagran.com that “People will be able to reach Gaya easily during Pitru Paksha through bus service.” The bus from Varanasi Cantonment will travel via Chandauli–Sasaram–Aurangabad–Sherghati–Gaya in Bihar, benefiting not only devotees but also regular passengers along the way. It will depart from Varanasi station at 8 pm and reach Gaya at 4 am, with the fare fixed at Rs 465.

The minister further noted that this initiative will reduce the dependence of devotees on private vehicles, saving them both time and money. “A large number of devotees from Uttar Pradesh go to Gaya during Pitru Paksha. Keeping their convenience in mind, the Transport Corporation brainstormed. If everything goes well, then regularization of this bus operation will be considered,” Singh added. He also stressed that the state government aims to promote tourism and provide better facilities to pilgrims.

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Expansion of Inter-State Bus Services

Apart from the Varanasi–Gaya route, the Transport Department is also strengthening interstate connectivity with Bihar and Haryana.

- A Sarnath (Varanasi) to Bodh Gaya bus service is also being planned under the inter-state bus initiative.

- From Lucknow (Alambagh Bus Terminal) to Muzaffarpur, a bus service is already operational. The fare has been fixed at Rs 862. The bus departs at 2 am and reaches Muzaffarpur at 4 am the next day, travelling via Barabanki, Ayodhya, Gorakhpur, Tumkuhi, and Gopalganj.

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- For Haryana, a Meerut to Sonipat bus service has begun, with three trips daily. Departing from Baraut depot at 6:30 am, 10:50 am, and 3:50 pm, the buses are expected to ease commuting issues for passengers between the two states.