ST buses lose passengers, Rs 1,000 crore loss reported

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar

The Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) is reeling under losses of nearly Rs 1,000 crore as passenger numbers continue to fall. Most ST buses are over a decade old, pushing up repair costs and adding to the financial burden. Statewide, the corporation faces a daily loss of about Rs 2 crore, revealed managing director and vice president Madhav Kusekar.

Kusekar, who was in the city on Thursday to review operations with divisional controllers under the Nashik regional office, admitted that the fall in passengers has directly hit revenue, affecting salaries and day-to-day operations. While government concessions to passengers continue, they have not stemmed the mounting losses. He, however, noted that festive occasions such as Raksha Bandhan still bring in higher revenue, reflecting the enduring relevance of ST services.

New buses missing, old fleet draining resources

MSRTC has not purchased new buses for the past seven years. The aging fleet has escalated maintenance costs. To modernize operations, the department leased electric buses from Olectra, but instead of profits, it has been losing about Rs 15 per kilometer on these EVs, Kusekar disclosed.

Leased buses add to financial burden

Earlier, the department also leased Shivshahi buses, which further strained its finances. Transport minister Pratap Sarnayak has since clarified that no fresh leased buses will be inducted.