Vehicles will be run for seven years, they will have to meet latest emission standards; MSRTC will provide conductors
Commuters wait for an MSRTC bus at Sukurwadi ST depot, Borivli. File pic/Satej Shinde
The Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation, one of India’s biggest public transporters with 18,000 buses, will lease 500 buses meeting the latest BS-6 emission standards for seven years to keep its rural operations going.
A senior MSRTC official said each bus will have to be provided with a driver and must run a minimum of 400 km a day for the first five years. The terms of the lease will include supply, operation, and maintenance of the fully built High Speed Diesel ordinary buses.
After the first five years, the buses will be required to cover 300 km a day as per MSRTC’s schedules without any interruption whatsoever, said the official. There won’t be any upper limit on the number of kilometres travelled daily.
For fare collection, the MSRTC will deploy conductors and the required equipment for ticket booking wherever necessary. In case of conductor-less operation, traffic controllers/conductors will be provided for the collection of fare and luggage charges. There would be penalties and fines for violations by drivers or in bus standards.
India officially moved to a regime of tighter emission norms for motorised vehicles last year. As per Bharat Stage or BS6 standards, diesel engines will have to reduce their hydrocarbon and nitrogen oxides emission by 43 per cent, their NOx levels by 68 per cent and particulate matter levels by 82 per cent.
400 KM
Min distance each bus must cover daily for first five years
300 KM
Min distance to be covered by buses daily after five years
MSRTC’s rural push
. 80 buses will be given to Pune division
. 100 buses to Dhule division
. 60 to Latur division
. 100 to Sangli division
. 60 to Kolhapur division
. 100 to Ratnagiri and Raigad divisions
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