Amid MSRTC buses ban: Bus routes till Kolhapur Division to continue, say officials

According to officials, around 250 buses have been cancelled between Maharashtra and Karnataka until the matter is resolved. Though Pune divisional officials claim that bus services remain unaffected in Pune, passengers have complained about the inconvenience.

Swami Basa Linga, a MIDC employee, said he had to cancel his ticket. “With Holi around the corner, I had planned to visit my hometown by bus. However, owing to the ongoing tensions between both state transport authorities, I have cancelled my ticket until the issue is resolved and will look for alternative transportation,” he said.

In response, Pramod Nehul, Pune Divisional Collector at MSRTC, stated that bus services in Pune remain unaffected and will operate as scheduled, but will only go as far as the Kolhapur Division. “The language-related tensions have occurred near Kolhapur, where fundamentalist groups assaulted drivers and conductors. Services from Pune will continue until the Kolhapur bus stop, but beyond that, buses are not operational. The Kolhapur MSRTC Division, Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC), and border police administration will manage the issue. Whatever instructions are issued, MSRTC will follow them,” he said.

A Swargate Depot official, Pooja Patil confirmed that buses arriving from Karnataka are reaching the depot without issues, and, as of now, neither passengers nor buses are facing disruptions. “Only buses from Swargate have been instructed to halt at the Maharashtra border. The rest are operating on schedule,” she said.