Come October, commuters headed to Pune from Thane and Borivali will have a low-cost, yet comfortable transport facility.
The Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) is planning to replace the iconic Shivneri buses on this route with electric Shivai buses. However, the Shivneri buses will continue to ply between Dadar and Pune.
“We have placed an order for 150 air-conditioned electric buses and the first phase of the deliveries is expected in October. The plan is to use some of them on the Pune route among others,” Shekhar Channe, managing director, MSRTC, said.
Officials attribute the move to the low demand of Shivneri on four routes - Thane to Swargate, Thane to Shivai Nagar, Borivali to Swargate, and Borivali to Shivai Nagar.
“While the response to the Shivneri buses is poor, we believe people are looking for a comfortable travel, but on a lower fare,” an official from MSRTC said.
Shivai buses will start operations at these four routes and a ticket will approximately cost between ₹350 and ₹375. Currently, Shivneri buses charge ₹450 per passenger.
On June 1, the first Shivai bus departed from Pune for Ahmednagar. These buses are 12 metre long and have a seating capacity of 43 while they run on an average speed of 80 km per hour. These buses have reclining seats and built-in USB charging point for every passenger. They are also technically advanced with a regenerative braking system for a smoother ride. Shivai buses are not only complying with zero emission but zero noise as well; they are equipped with GPS devices, ramps for differently-abled passengers, CCTV cameras, and a panic button.
{{/usCountry}}On June 1, the first Shivai bus departed from Pune for Ahmednagar. These buses are 12 metre long and have a seating capacity of 43 while they run on an average speed of 80 km per hour. These buses have reclining seats and built-in USB charging point for every passenger. They are also technically advanced with a regenerative braking system for a smoother ride. Shivai buses are not only complying with zero emission but zero noise as well; they are equipped with GPS devices, ramps for differently-abled passengers, CCTV cameras, and a panic button.
{{/usCountry}}The Shivneri buses plying from Thane and Borivali to Pune will now be diverted to the more popular Dadar-Pune route. At present, a Shivneri bus leaves Dadar every 30 minutes.
Around 25,000 commuters travel between Mumbai and Pune every day, and at least 5,000 of them use MSRTC buses.
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