MSRTC has a revamp plan for its bus fleet

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In a bid to augment its 16,000-strong bus fleet, the MSRTC is also looking at eliminating all luggage carriers mounted on top its buses.

The change has been initiated due to the introduction of the new uniform bus body code introduced by the government of India. “The top luggage carriers will eventually go. We are looking at procuring 700 new buses in which as per international norms the luggage will be stored in the belly of the vehicle rather than mounted  on top,” a senior Maharashtra State Road Transportation Corporation official said.

Alerted to the variance in buses plying across the country, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highway had come out with certain regulations to ensure uniformity of bus design as well as to maintain safety.

For the comfort of passengers, all new MSRTC buses will have bigger seats and windows. The MSRTC is also contemplating offering WiFi services on its long distance routes. A proposal to offer in-journey entertainment on the lines of in-flight entertainment is also being contemplated by the corporation.

The MSRTC ferries over 70 lakh passengers of the state every day to various destinations. Being a state-run operator, it is mandated to provide services to remote parts of the state. However, it faces stiff competition on high revenue routes where it is forced to compete with private operators with many people refraining from using their buses due to the quality of services they provide. The corporation is presently running into losses that amount to about Rs 475 crore.