Shivneri may ply on Hyderabad, Goa routes

The Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) has mooted a proposal to start air-conditioned Shivneri bus service on Hyderabad and Goa routes.

The new services could start by end of April once the tendering process to hire 38 more buses is complete. The state transport has already started Shivneri buses from Pune to Bangalore and Udaipur. Hyderabad will be the third destination for its inter-state services from Pune.

Of the new 38 buses to be hired, 10 would be multi-axle buses. Some of these buses will run on the Hyderabad and Goa routes while the others will travel from Pune to Thane, Borivali, Nashik and Aurangabad and back.

An MSRTC official said that Hyderabad was a potential route for starting AC buses. "The corporation is plying semi-luxury buses on this route that go via Solapur. The AC bus service will start with a daily trip and the frequency would be increased depending upon the response. Similarly, a bus would run from Pune to Goa every day via Kolhapur," said the official.

The inter-state buses from Pune to Bangalore and Udaipur have registered about 40% occupancy. The schedule of the Pune-Udaipur bus was recently changed to suit the timings of passengers heading for Gujarat and Rajasthan. The service to Bangalore has registered a significant demand on weekends.

"We are planning to introduce additional AC buses on Thane and Borivali routes to meet the summer rush. At present, one gets a Shivneri bus to Dadar every 15 minutes while buses on the Thane and Borivali routes run every hour," the official said.

The MSRTC has plans to add more trips on Nashik and Aurangabad routes, especially during night and morning hours.

BOX

MSRTC's big plans

* Add 38 buses to its fleet

* Services on Hyderabad and Goa routes

* Additional buses to Mumbai

* Increase trips to Nashik and Aurangabad