Pune: MSRTC will be launching its fully-owned new diesel fleet — Parivartan — in Oct. A total of 2,475 new 2/2-seater buses would be inducted into the depleting fleet of the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) in the next two years. “As many as 300 buses will come by Oct and will be given to different depots in the state.
MSRTC’s diesel-run Lalpari and Hirkani buses are popular. Parivartan will add to the fleet,” said an MSRTC official. “We have been trying to bring in new buses, but some delays have happened.
We are also in the process to get close to 2,000 e-buses in phases. Our fleet size has drastically gone down and it has to be increased,” another official said. MSRTC has some 15,000 buses, but most are old and in bad condition.
Close to 10,000 are over operating age of 10 years. Breakdowns have increased. Women’s safety campaign MSRTC has started a campaign, Jaaga Dhikhawa (show one’s place), for safety of women and against misbehaviour towards them in buses.
“We have created some videos for the same and put it up on our social media platforms. Our officials are spreading the message in each depot on how to treat women respectfully while they travel in buses or trains,” said Abhijit Bhosle, public relations officer of MSRTC. We also published the following articles recently Extra MSRTC buses on Pune-Kolhapur route To accommodate passengers attending the Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana event in Kolhapur, the Pune division of .