At the inauguration of the newly renovated air-conditioned driver-conductor rest house at Khopat Bus Station, Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde called on ST (State Transport) employees to view “passenger service as divine service” as part of efforts to enhance and restore ST services. The event saw the presence of Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik, Health Minister Prakash Abitkar, Minister of State for Finance and Planning Ashish Jayswal, and Vivek Bhimnarav, the in-charge Vice-Chairman and Managing Director of the ST Corporation. In his address, Deputy CM Shinde highlighted the government's commitment to transforming ST services into a world-class, “five-star” transportation system. He stressed the need for public-private partnerships to establish bus ports, similar to airport terminals, to improve passenger experience. Shinde also shared that last year, under the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC), ₹500 crore was allocated to concretize the surroundings of 191 bus stations, with the goal of creating “pothole-free” bus stations across the state.
Shinde further directed that, in order to ensure drivers and conductors have a stress-free rest after their shifts, air-conditioned, clean, and well-maintained rest houses should be built at all depots. Expressing satisfaction with the newly renovated rest house at Khopat Bus Station, he urged officials to adopt this facility as a "role model" and implement it statewide.
In his speech, Transport Minister Sarnaik announced an upcoming initiative to prioritize the health of ST employees and their families. Through public-private partnerships, the government plans to set up cashless 100-bed hospitals at depots, with the first such project to be launched on Sunday in celebration of Shinde's birthday. Sarnaik added that these hospitals will offer free medical services to ST employees under the state’s Mahatma Phule Jan Arogya Yojana, and the facilities will also be available to passengers and the general public in the surrounding areas. The event was attended by a large number of ST employees and passengers. The ST Corporation currently operates a fleet of around 14,000 buses, serving approximately 55 lakh passengers daily, and employs around 90,000 staff members.