State announces toll exemption for MSRTC buses

Earlier, E-Shivneri buses had to bear heavy toll charges - ₹148 on the Pune-Mumbai Expressway per trip; ₹140 on the old Pune-Mumbai highway, and ₹530 on the Atal Setu

The state government last week announced toll exemption for all Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) buses. The move comes at a time when a heavy rush for bookings is seen because of the Diwali season. For the corporation, it is a big relief as it will save approximately ₹63 lakh every month ( ₹2 lakh per day) in expenses, particularly on its popular E-Shivneri luxury bus service between Pune and Mumbai, one of the busiest routes of MSRTC.

For round trips, this amounted to around ₹1,404 per bus per day on the expressway/highway, and ₹5,810 on the Atal Setu stretch. (REPRESENTATIVE PIC)

Earlier, E-Shivneri buses had to bear heavy toll charges - ₹148 on the Pune-Mumbai Expressway per trip; ₹140 on the old Pune-Mumbai highway, and ₹530 on the Atal Setu. For round trips, this amounted to around ₹1,404 per bus per day on the expressway/highway, and ₹5,810 on the Atal Setu stretch. With hundreds of daily trips, the cumulative toll expense was a major financial burden on the corporation.

By waiving the toll charges, the state government has directly addressed one of the long-standing demands of MSRTC, which has been under financial strain for years. Arun Siya, divisional controller of MSRTC’s Pune Division, said, “The exemption of toll charges will significantly reduce our expenses. With daily savings of nearly two lakh rupees, the corporation can now better utilise resources for improving services and passenger convenience.”