E-Paper
Swargate & Alandi ST depots to be converted into e-depots by MSRTC
As per the information shared by the MSRTC Pune division, e-Shivai buses have begun to be inducted into the fleet of the transport body from last year
Senior officials of the Pune Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) have sent a proposal to the MSRTC head office for conversion of two state transport (ST) depots namely Swargate and Alandi, into complete electric depots. Furthermore, the Pune division will soon acquire 200 electric buses in a phase-wise manner.
Kailash Patil, MSRTC Pune divisional controller, said, “We are already running electric buses on several routes now from the last year and soon, we are going to get an additional 200 electric buses for our division. Currently, all these buses are charged at the head office premises at Shankar Sheth Road. So, it was decided to have dedicated electric depots in the division.”
“We have identified two existing ST depots in the Pune division, which will be converted into electric depots. Swargate and Alandi depots will be converted into electric depots for which, we have sent a proposal to our head office. As soon as it gets approval, we will receive funds and actual work will start,” Patil said.
As per the information shared by the MSRTC Pune division, e-Shivai buses have begun to be inducted into the fleet of the transport body from last year. Accordingly, 16 e-Shivai buses were added to the Pune division fleet in August 2023 and started operating on the Pune-Nashik route from August 11 this year.
Around 5,000 e-buses will be taken by the MSRTC in a phase-wise manner, out of which, 200 e-buses will be given to the MSRTC Pune division. These e-buses will be operated in the state under the name e-Shivai. These e-buses will be provided to different departments in a phased manner. Accordingly, some departments have got e-buses and they have started e-bus services on some routes. First in the state, e-Shivai was started on the Pune-Nagar route in the Pune division. After that, e-Shivai has been running on the Pune to Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Ahmednagar, Nashik, Kolhapur and Solapur routes. “Travelling by electric buses is a pleasant experience and it goes smoothly. I recently travelled to Nashik by e-Shivai bus and we had a nice journey,” said Karan Makwana, a passenger.
