Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) has been in the headlines for a long time due to its poor service. Now, to combat all the grievances of the commuters, the administration took a major step aimed at improving the efficiency and fixing its decentralized operations. MSRTC announced the formation of five new regional divisions. This restructuring will: improve the operational planning, strengthen local governance, and streamline coordination across Maharashtra. This decision was made following the orders of the State Transport Minister and Chairman of MSRTC, Pratap Sarnaik. Acting on this order, the Vice-Chairman of MSRTC and Managing Director, Dr. Madhav Kusekar, issued a circular that confirms the formation of five new regional divisions. These five new units will begin operations in a few days.
An official from the department said, “The five new regional divisions are Amravati, Mumbai, Nashik, Nagpur, and Pune. Each division will have its headquarters in key places and consist of several currently operating divisions. In order to guarantee dependable, punctual, and passenger-friendly services, senior officers have already been recruited to lead each regional committee.”
The official further stated that the previous three-tiered organisation of MSRTC, which consisted of taluka-level depots, district-level divisional offices, and a central headquarters, is significantly altered by this new structure. Administrative delays and logistical bottlenecks have frequently come from the lack of an intermediate layer, in contrast to the state's Revenue Department, which operates through six divisions.
This new restructuring of MSRTC units comes after Minister Pratap Sarnaik returned from Karnataka. There he learnt about the state’s decentralised transport model. After taking inspiration from Karnataka’s system, Minister Pratap Sarnaik proposed an expansive model for the state where he runs the transport system. He focused on the need for a regional tier to fill the gap between divisional and central offices, mainly to address region-specific transport needs and seasonal demand increases during festivals.
Dr. Kusekar has instructed all the officers who are linked with this initiative to speed up the implementation process and ensure adherence to updated planning and operational protocols.
Dr. Kusekar said that their goal is to make MSRTC services more efficient, accessible, and take better care of the needs of its commuters.