The Maharashtra State Road and Transport Corporation will induct 3,500 new buses in its dwindling fleet in 2025 and check issues like breakdown of vehicles and long wait time for passengers, an official said. Addressing a press conference in Nagpur on Wednesday, December, MSRTC Chairman Bharat Gogawale said they have decided to purchase 2,200 buses for their own fleet, besides hiring 1,300 buses on lease.
"These 3,500 buses will begin joining the fleet in January, alleviating issues such as buses breaking down on road or passengers having to wait for long periods," Gogawale said. Currently, the state-run transport body's fleet is facing a significant shortage as the number of its buses has come down to 14,000 from 18,000 before the COVID-19 pandemic in 2018, he said.
Gogawale said due to the pandemic and other factors, the MSRTC was not able to purchase new buses in recent years. Hence, the shortage made it difficult for the corporation to provide additional bus services to meet the growing demand. The MSRTC placed an order to hire 5,100 electric buses from a manufacturer in 2022, but the company has not supplied even 1,000 buses yet, making it difficult for the corporation to manage its operations.
Also Read | MSRTC to Launch 1,300 New Buses in Maharashtra from January 2025 for Passengers.
Replying to some queries from mediapersons, Gogawale informed of the plans to develop bus stations across the state in phases. Some of these will be funded by the government, while others will be developed through public-private partnerships. Under the leadership of former chief minister Eknath Shinde, the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) had begun the cement concretisation of 183 bus station areas across the state, he said.
The MSRTC is one of the biggest public transport bodies in the county. After the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of passengers ferried by it daily has gone below 60 lakh.
(With inputs from PTI)