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MSRTC earns ₹6 cr during Diwali, ₹2.10 cr more than last year
MSRTC has reported strong financial performance this Diwali season, earning nearly ₹6 crore in just four days
Pune - The Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) has reported a strong financial performance this Diwali season, earning nearly ₹6 crore in just four days, from October 15 to 18 across the Pune division’s major bus depots at Swargate, Shivajinagar and Pimpri-Chinchwad (Vallabhnagar). Compared to last year, the earnings have increased by ₹2.10 crore, indicating a significant rise in passenger turnout and travel demand during the festive period.
According to Pune divisional controller Arun Siya, the MSRTC operated around 6,000 bus trips in four days, transporting approximately 2.5 lakh passengers to different parts of Maharashtra. In view of the festive rush, 589 additional trips were arranged across the Pune division.
“Keeping the heavy Diwali rush in mind, additional services were scheduled from Swargate, Wakdewadi (Shivajinagar), and Vallabhnagar (Pimpri-Chinchwad) bus depots. Between October 15 and 18, around 6,000 trips were completed successfully. Nearly 2.5 lakh passengers travelled with MSRTC during this period,” said Siya.
He added, “From the Wakdewadi depot alone, we increased the frequency of buses to Nashik, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (Aurangabad), Beed, Ahilyanagar, Latur, Dharashiv, and Parbhani, running over 900 trips this year compared to 600 last year. Similarly, from the Swargate depot, we operated 750 trips to Kolhapur, Satara, Solapur and Sangli, up from 450 trips last year.”
The Vallabhnagar depot in Pimpri-Chinchwad also saw high demand, with more than 650 trips to districts including Nashik, Dhule, Jalgaon, Nagpur, Beed, Jalna, Parbhani, Jintur, Ambajogai, Majalgaon, Hingoli, Yavatmal and Wardha.
Siya highlighted that the decision to add buses without increasing ticket fares helped MSRTC earn strong public goodwill. “Despite the festive rush, MSRTC did not increase ticket prices. Instead, we added nearly 600 extra buses to accommodate the growing number of passengers. While private transport operators were charging inflated fares, passengers clearly preferred MSRTC for its affordable and reliable service. The response has been overwhelmingly positive,” he said.
The increased earnings and passenger turnout during Diwali have brought much-needed relief to MSRTC, which has been striving to regain financial stability after recent challenges. Officials say the corporation’s decision to maintain standard fares while improving service frequency has strengthened public trust and boosted ridership, proving that the red buses continue to be the preferred travel choice for many Maharashtrians during festival time.
