Thane, February 19 The Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation is set to introduce 8,300 new buses this year to reduce the revenue deficit and strengthen the corporation financially, Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik said on Thursday.
Sarnaik, who is also the chairman of the MSRTC, said in a statement that the primary obstacle of bus shortage is being addressed to eliminate the current daily revenue deficit of Rs 1 crore to Rs 1.5 crore.
"If the number of buses increases, more passengers will travel, which will automatically lead to increased income," he was quoted as saying in the statement.
The corporation, which saw its fleet shrink from nearly 19,000 buses in the pre-pandemic era to about 12,600 by late 2024 due to COVID-19 and prolonged employee strikes, is now experiencing a resurgence in ridership, it said.
Currently, approximately 50 lakh passengers travel by MSRTC buses daily, boosted by government schemes offering a 50 per cent discount to women and free travel for senior citizens.
According to the new plan, the MSRTC aims to serve 70 lakh to 75 lakh passengers per day, it said.
Under the planned phased introduction of 8,300 buses, a total of 3,000 55-seater buses named after 'Rajmata Jijau Saheb' will be introduced from March for inter-city travel. In addition, the tendering process for 5,000 simple buses is in its final stages, it said.
While 100 midi buses will be introduced for remote and tribal areas, 200 state-of-the-art buses will be introduced to compete with private luxury transport operators, the minister said.
Detailing the financial health of the corporation, the release noted that the daily expenditure currently stands at Rs 34 crore to Rs 35 crore, compared to an income of approximately Rs 33 crore.
"ST is not a profit-making industry; it is the lifeline for the common man in the state. However, it is necessary to achieve a balance between expenditure and income to avoid minimum losses. With the arrival of new buses, the income will definitely increase, and ST will become financially strong," Sarnaik said in the release.
The minister further asserted that the corporation is determined to achieve harmony between cost and income.
"We firmly believe that ST will overcome its financial difficulties by the end of this year," the minister said in the statement.