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MSRTC pulls out of Shivajinagar multi-model hub project
The Maharashtra State Regional Transport Corporation (MSRTC) has taken a decision to withdraw its stake from the multi-model hub project and refused to sign a contract agreement with MahaMetro due to the lack of viability gap funding
The Maharashtra State Regional Transport Corporation (MSRTC) has taken a decision to withdraw its stake from the multi-model hub project and refused to sign a contract agreement with MahaMetro due to the lack of viability gap funding.
The MahaMetro has taken a decision to pay MSRTC for the piece of land which it acquired to construct the underground station.
MahaMetro has proposed the construction of a multi-storied building with a bus depot and terminus at ground level where the MSRTC Shivajinagar bus terminus is located.
It was decided that MahaMetro will develop the MSRTC bus terminus and hand it over to them.
Accordingly, the Shivajinagar depot was shifted to Wakdewadi which is 1.5 kilometres away from the original depot in December 2019. The total land of the depot is more than 10,000 square metres.
According to officials, the Shivajinagar terminus will remain closed for the next three years as metro rail terminus is being constructed under the state transport depot, crucial for buses going towards Aurangabad and Ahmednagar.
Approximately 1,400 buses ply every day from the earlier Shivajinagar, now Wakdewadi bus terminus. Once the metro station is ready, the MSRTC will shift back to its terminus to Shivajinagar.
After shifting the depot, MahaMetro wanted to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with MSRTC.
However, the MSRTC has now taken a decision to not be a part of the multi-model project.
Metro will pay MSRTC for 4,000 square metres land
Atul Gadgil, director Maha-Metro said, “The MSRTC doesn’t want to be a part of the multi-model hub of Pune Metro. They have written to us about that. Now, we will take 4,000 square metres of land from the depot for our station and the remaining will be handed over to them. We have also sent letters to them that we are ready to pay an amount for the piece of land which we want to use for our station.”
He further said, “MSRTC did not mention a clear reason about withdrawing from the project but a lack of viability gap funding may be one of the reasons.”
“It will not affect the Pune Metro footfall. The MSRTC will keep a pickup point there which will connect to the existing ST depot shifted at the Wakdewadi area,” he clarified.
Commercial exploitation of prime land
According to metro officials, as per the agreement, the MSRTC was going to give some amount to Metro as well as developers.
At present, the MSRTC doesn’t have the money to give an amount to both agencies. Therefore, they postponed the decision to develop the depot with the help of the Metro. On the other hand, the MSRTC wants to shift their entire depot from the main city areas to the outskirts of the city and use the prime land for commercial exploitation.
Abhijeet Bhosale, MSRTC chief public relations officer said, “At present, I don’t have any information regarding Shivajinagar depot.”
Ramakant Gaikwad, MSRTC divisional controller, Pune division said, “It is a policy decision. I cannot comment on that.”
However, it has been cleared that the MSRTC wants to put to use the prime land of Shivajinagar commercially.
Last year in the month of February, Maharashtra transport minister Anil Parab had announced that MSRTC is facing financial problems. The department will look at financial models such as utilization of land banks, commercial exploitation of depots as well as public-private partnership.
