A busload of changes

After MiD DAY reported on shabby conditions ST bus commuters had to endure, MSRTC officials have announced that they are purchasing new buses with plush interiors and special amenities

A busload of changes

After MiD DAY reported on shabby conditions ST bus commuters had to endure, MSRTC officials have announced that they are purchasing new buses with plush interiors and special amenities

Passengers who use the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) buses rejoice! Ten days after MiD DAY covered the issue of the buses ('Creaky ride down town and around', January 5), officials from the MSRTC have decided it's time for a makeover.

Passengers, who had to endure torn, rickety seats and dirty buses, will get a chance to sit in swanky new buses, that they are deciding to bring in.

Dadar's bus station will get four new waiting rooms, which will be air-conditioned and will play music 24 hours. MSRTC is purchasing 60 volvo buses, which will have airplane seats and fire extinguishers

Also, officials have said that they are planning on buying machinery to keep buses and stations clean.

MSRTC has announced several new developments, which include new plush buses. We are purchasing 60 Volvo buses, 3,000 ordinary buses and 250 midi buses.
u00a0
We have also planed an entirely air conditioned bus station at Dadar, below the flyover," said an official.

He added that MSRTC will be the first transport agency to provide its customers with an air-conditioned waiting room for the drivers and conductors.

Among the new purchases, the MSRTC is buying 60 Volvo buses, including two jumbo multi-buses. These buses will be 14-meter-long as compared to 12.5 metres the normal length of buses.

Also, seats in this bus will be similar to those in the business class of the airplanes.

The senior official added, "All the old buses with unkempt interiors and torn upholstery will be discarded and will be replaced by the new buses."

Not only this, the authorities are also purchasing 76 jet machines. These machines will help officials ensure cleaner stations and the outsides of the bus will also be cleant.

"In the near future, we will have jet machines at all our 247 depots. We are also looking at installing operational fire extinguishers in all the buses," said the official.

End to woes

The MSRTC has also planned a makeover for the Dadar station, which most often affected the flow of traffic and the stop, will be shifted to a new location with better amenities.

u00a0The new plans for the waiting room shows there will be four rooms constructed. Also the display board will show the arrival and departure of the buses.

Deepak Kapoor, managing director, said, "We have spent around Rs 50 lakh to create air-conditioned waiting rooms for our Volvo and Sheetal passengers.

This new AC bus stand at Dadar will completely ease traffic on the road." He added, "The waiting rooms will play music to comfort passengers.

We are doing in our capacity to ensure passengers have a smooth ride. The Dadar AC stand is a huge step in that direction."

Rs 9.69 cr
The revenue collected by the MSRTC daily

Buses Galore
MSRTC has a fleet of 17,000 buses of which around 14,230 are ordinary, and semi-luxury, city, midi, mini and air-conditioned make up the remainder. The MSRTC has 247 depots, 575 bus stations, and 3,632 pick-up sheds, supervised by 1.05 lakh employees.

Helpline
In case passengers have any suggestions or complaints, they can call the toll free MSRTC helpline number on 1800221250

Ek Cutting!
ST buses
The first bus was flagged off from Pune to Ahmednagar in 1948. Initially, drivers and conductors used to wear khaki uniforms and peak caps. There were 10 kinds of buses in use then Chevrolet, Fort, Seddon, Commercial, Leyland

This is part of MiD DAY's month-long audit of experiences of travelling in and out of the city, where we take up people's issues and place them before the authorities to address.

So far in the campaign...

Up in the air

To kickstart the campaign, MiD DAY aired passenger complaints regarding airlines misplacing, mishandling and damaging their luggage.u00a0

Following up on fleecing cabbies at the airport, we found that t ingenious cheats still manage to trap the odd gullible passenger.

We reported on how smartly-dressed touts sporting fake uniforms of reputed hotels take tourists for a ride at the airport.

Down by the tracks

Urinals at railway stations on the central and western lines are a breeding grounds for diseases

Paan-stained, filthy stations

Taking the road less travelled

MiD DAY took a bone shattering ride alongside regular passengers of MSRTC buses only to find that, barring a few exceptions, they continue to be as rickety as ever

MiD DAY found that passengers coming into the city by train are left to the mercy of the auto and taxi mafia outside stations whou00a0 quote ridiculous fares

Despite paying a hefty toll at the various toll nakas to exit and enter the city, all motorists get are pot-holed roads, no street lights and a virtual death trap at night