From vintage models to EVs: In Pune, MSRTC’s mobile bus museum a hit with visitors

These timelines display diverse forms of transformation the bus underwent and its governing agency from pre-Independence to post Independence. The looks, logo designs and mechanisms of working of buses evolved over time.

The bus has various historical memories framed in glass such as old tickets, dummy models of ST buses and sticker logos of transport manufacturing companies. Additionally, one specific section was represented in remembrance of Laxman Shankar Kewate, the first conductor of Independent India who served in the Pune-Ahmednagar route from 1948 to 1984. Kewate was from Pune and passed away recently.

Rohit Dhende, coordinator of Transguru Service, said they have used the archives to show how ST buses played diverse roles in different situations such as transporting military personnel during wartime, ferrying athletes to the Asian Games, and serving as ambulances during disaster relief operations.

“Earlier, such setups were limited to a specific place like a bus stand but a mobile museum will give easy access to the people in their cities. In 2016 and 2019, the buses provided for the mobile museum were non-AC but this time, we requested MSRTC to provide an AC bus on the occassion of India’s 75 years of Independence,” said Dhende.

The museum setup on the bus was carved out in MSRTC’s Dapodi central workshop, which is Asia’s first workshop. MSRTC’s Shivneri Volvo bus has been converted and deputed as a touring museum that will drive to 250 bus depots across Maharashtra in a span of one-and-a-half years.

Dhende said although the initiative has been funded by MSRTC, the idea and research work is brainchild of Transguru Service.