MSRTC revenue rises by Rs 66 crore in August after buses are aligned with passenger demand

The Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation MSRTC recorded a Rs 66 crore increase in revenue in August compared with July with changes to bus schedules and services based on passenger demand contributing to the improvementThe increase followed a series of review meetings and directions from Transport Minister and MSRTC Chairman Pratap Sarnaik who has been pushing the corporation to improve revenue and reduce operating losses Sarnaik said the latest figures indicate that MSRTCrsquos efforts to align services with passenger demand are beginning to produce resultsThe corporation has also recorded its highestever daily revenue of Rs 45 crore on August 31 while its monthly revenue crossed the Rs 1000 crore mark for the first timeDepots asked to focus on local passenger demandEach MSRTC depot is responsible for providing bus services to the population in its respective area According to the corporation more than 85 per cent of its passengers travel less than 100 km making local and regional services an important part of its operationsHowever MSRTC said that in recent years greater emphasis had been placed on longdistance services including routes that did not always generate sufficient passenger traffic This resulted in higher operating costs without a corresponding increase in revenue contributing to the corporationrsquos financial lossesThe issue was raised during a review of MSRTCrsquos revenue performance last month Following the review depots began revising their schedules from August by taking into account passenger numbers and travel patterns on individual routesThe changes included services aimed at daily commuters farmers women students and senior citizens particularly in rural and semiurban areas Depots were also directed to introduce additional services on routes that see increased passenger movement on weekly market days during fairs and on other occasions that attract larger crowdsRecord daily revenue on August 31The revised approach coincided with increased travel during the Raksha Bandhan period On August 31 MSRTC recorded ticket sales of Rs 45 crore its highest daily revenue since the corporation was establishedMSRTCrsquos average daily revenue is currently around Rs 34 crore to Rs 35 crore The August 31 figure was therefore about Rs 10 crore higher than the usual daily levelThe corporation attributed the record collection in part to the deployment of buses on routes where passenger demand was higher Rather than maintaining services regardless of passenger numbers depots adjusted frequencies and schedules according to actual demandMonthly revenue crosses Rs 1000 croreMSRTCrsquos revenue exceeded Rs 1000 crore in August marking the first time the corporation has crossed that threshold in a single monthThe corporation said that continued growth in revenue could help it cover its current operating losses within the next two to three months However the outcome will depend on whether the improvement in collections can be sustained over the coming monthsThe recent changes reflect a broader shift towards demandbased transport planning with bus services being increased on routes that consistently attract passengers while reducing the emphasis on services that generate comparatively lower returnsSarnaik said the latest figures demonstrate the importance of matching bus services with passenger requirements rather than focusing primarily on the number of services operatedldquoMSRTC is the lifeline of the common people Therefore its services must reach passengers according to their needs Running more services on routes where passengers are available rather than operating unproductive services is the effective formula for increasing revenue The Rs 66 crore increase in revenue recorded in August is an indication that changes have begun in the right direction If transport planning continues to take passenger demand into account it will be possible for MSRTC to generate enough monthly revenue to at least avoid operating lossesrdquo Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik said