Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation

2026-03-23T08:32:48Z

162.159.122.26:

{{Short description|Public transport corporation in Maharashtra, India}}{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2014}}
{{Use Indian English|date=June 2014}}
{{Infobox public transit
| name = Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation
| native_name =
| image = Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation logo.png
| imagesize =
| alt =
| caption =
| owner = [[Government of Maharashtra]]
| area served =
| locale = [[Maharashtra]]
| transit_type = Intercity Bus <br/> City Bus
| lines =
| line_number =
| start =
| end =
| vehicles = 18,449
| stations =
| ridership = 8.7 Million Daily
| annual_ridership =
| key_people = Chairman : [[Anil Parab]] (Transport Minister) <br /> Managing Director : Shekhar Channe
([[Indian Administrative Service|IAS]])
| headquarters = [[Mumbai Central]], [[Mumbai]]
| website = https://msrtc.maharashtra.gov.in/index.php
| began_operation = 1948 as Bombay State Road Transport Corporation (BSRTC) <br /> 1960 as Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation
| ended_operation =
| operator =
| marks =
| character =
| train_length =
| headway =
| map =
| map_name =
| map_state = collapsed
}}
The '''Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation''' abbreviated as ('''MSRTC''', or simply ST),<ref name="training" /> is the state run bus service of [[Maharashtra]], India which serves routes to towns and cities within Maharashtra as well as to its adjoining states. It has a fleet strength of 18,449 buses. It also offers a facility for online booking of tickets for all buses.<ref name="online-reservation" /> Recently From 21 May 2020, the Corporation Started Goods Transportation, Private Bus Body Building, Private Vehicle Tyre Remoulding.<ref>{{Cite web|title=The Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation|url=https://msrtc.maharashtra.gov.in/index.php/node/division/13|url-status=live|website=msrtc.maharashtra.gov.in}}</ref> In future, Corporation plans to start petrol pump for private vehicles all over the Maharashtra.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-08-19|title=Maharashtra MSRTC to set up petrol pumps to increase earnings, overcome losses|url=https://www.deccanherald.com/national/west/maharashtra-msrtc-to-set-up-petrol-pumps-to-increase-earnings-overcome-losses-875102.html|access-date=2021-04-21|website=Deccan Herald|language=en}}</ref>

== History ==
The Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation was established by the State Government of Maharashtra as per the provision in Section 3 of RTC Act 1950. The MSRTC <ref>"[https://msrtc.org.in/ MSRTC Bus Timetable 2026] | एसटी बस वेळापत्रक महाराष्ट्र | ST Bus Time Table". ''[https://msrtc.org.in/ MSRTC]''. Retrieved 23 March 2026.</ref>operates its services by the approved scheme of road transport published vide Notification MVA 3173/30303-XIIA dated 29 November 1973 in the official gazette. The area covered by the scheme is the entire area of the state of Maharashtra. The undertaking is operating stage and contract carriage services in the entire area of the state of Maharashtra except S.T. undertaking defined under Section 68 A (b) of M. V. Act and other exceptions published in the scheme. The first bus was flagged off from [[Pune]] to [[Ahmednagar]] in 1948.<ref name="MSRTC-History" /><ref name="Thesis-1" />

Tracing the history that saw this development, we go back to the 1920s; when various entrepreneurs started operations in the public transport sector. Till the Motor Vehicle Act came into being in 1939, there were no regulations monitoring their activities which resulted in arbitrary competition and unregulated fares. The implementation of the Act rectified matters to some extent. The individual operators were asked to form a union on defined routes in a particular area. This also proved to be beneficial for travelers as some sort of schedule set in; with a time table, designated pick-up points, conductors, and fixed ticket prices. This was the state of affairs till 1948, when the then Bombay State Government, with the late [[Morarji Desai]] as the home minister, started its own state road transport service, called State Transport Bombay. And, with this, the first blue and silver-topped bus took off from Pune to Ahmednagar.<ref name="MSRTC-History" /><ref name="Thesis-1" />

There were 10 makes of buses in use then – Chevrolet, Ford, Bedford, Seddon, Studebaker, Morris Commercial, Albion, Leyland, Commer and Fiat. In the early 1950s, two luxury coaches were also introduced with Morris Commercial Chassis. These were called Neelkamal and Giriyarohini and used to ply on the Pune-Mahabaleshwar route. They had two by two seats, curtains, interior decoration, a clock, and green tinted windows.<ref name="MSRTC-History" /><ref name="Thesis-1" />

In 1950, a Road Transport Corporation Act was passed by the Central Government which delegated powers to states to form their individual road transport corporations with the Central Government contributing one-third of the capital. The Bombay State Road Transport Corporation (BSRTC) thus came into being, later changing its name to MSRTC with the re-organization of the state.<ref name="MSRTC-History" /><ref name="Thesis-1" />

The ST started with 30 Bedford buses having wooden bodies, coir seats. The fare charged on the Pune-Nagar route was nine paisa. With time, the S.T. buses underwent many changes, including increasing the seating capacity from the original 30 to 45 to the present 54, introduction of all-steel bodies to replace wooden bodies to make them stronger and cushion seats for more comfort. Later, in 1960, aluminium bodies were introduced as steel corrodes, especially in coastal areas, and the colour code also changed to red from the blue and silver. A partial night service was launched in 1968; the overnight service about a decade later and the semi-luxury class came into being during the Asian Games in 1982.<ref name="MSRTC-History" /><ref name="Thesis-1" />

The S.T. buses are also used for transportation of the postal mail, distribution of medicines, newspapers and even tiffins sent by people from rural areas to their relatives in cities. They also are used to transport agricultural goods to cities.<ref name="Thesis-1" />

== Fleet ==
MSRTC is operating a fleet of approximately 18,449 buses that ferry 8.7 million passengers daily.<ref name="MSRTC-History" />
[[File:MSRTC340.jpg|thumb|MSRTC REVOLUTION]]
The Ordinary, Parivartan, Asiad and City Buses are built at MSRTC's in-house workshops at [[Pune city]], [[Aurangabad, Maharashtra|Aurangabad]], and [[Nagpur]] on [[Ashok Leyland]] and [[Tata Motors|TATA]] chassis. These workshops produce as many as 20,000 buses per year on average. The corporation has nine tyre retreading plants along with 32 divisional workshops.<ref name="MSRTC-Fleet" /> The Shivneri air conditioned bus service consists of Volvo 9400R and Scania Metrolink buses.<ref name="TOI-1" /> The Shivshahi buses are air-conditioned luxury buses which are operated by MSRTC and some private contractors.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Sengupta |first1=Joy |title=Surprise checks of Shivshahi buses run by private contractors |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/pune/surprise-checks-of-shivshahi-buses-run-by-pvt-contractors/articleshow/72784829.cms |access-date=24 March 2020 |agency=TNN |work=The Times Of India |date=17 December 2019 |language=en}}</ref>

In 2018, MSRTC added approximately a 1,000 special non-AC Vithai buses, which were introduced to ferry passengers to the pilgrim town of [[Pandharpur]] in [[Solapur district]]. They have a seating capacity of 45 seats and a similar design to that of 'Parivartan' buses.<ref name="TOI-2" />

In 2019,the MSRTC introduced new non-air conditioned buses with beds and recliner chairs specially designed for long overnight routes. Extra facilities like reading lamp, night lamp, charging point, fan and two huge storage compartments have also been provided.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Bhale |first1=Rasika |title=MSRTC to operate 200 sleeper buses on 16 routes in State |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/mumbai/msrtc-to-operate-200-sleeper-buses-on-16-routes-in-state/article30020990.ece |access-date=24 March 2020 |work=The Hindu |date=20 November 2019 |language=en-IN}}</ref>

== 2021-22 strike ==
During the [[COVID-19 lockdown in India]] which started in March 2020, MSTRC was unable to process salaries of employees for many months. Salaries of nearly 90,000 employees were held up for 3-4 months, leading to few employees committing suicides finding it difficult to meet their needs. Employees put in various demands in front of [[Thackeray ministry|the then Maharashtra government]]; like pay hike, remunerations for lossess and also to consider merger of MSTRC with state government by which benefits of state government would get extended to the employees of MSTRC. With failure to reach any conclusion on demands; over 92,600 employees of MSTRC went on strike from 27 October 2021.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-msrtc-employees-strike-protests-outside-sharad-pawars-house-7860481/ | title=Explained: Why MSRTC employees are on strike, and what led to protests outside Sharad Pawar’s house | work=Indian Express | date=9 April 2022 | accessdate=25 April 2022 | author=Ozarkar, Vallabh | location=Mumbai}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/mumbai/as-msrtc-strike-crosses-100-days-meet-some-of-those-holding-ground-7761563/ | title=As MSRTC strike crosses 100 days, meet some of those holding ground | work=Indian Express | date=8 February 2022 | accessdate=25 April 2022 | author=Ozarkar, Vallabh}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newslaundry.com/2022/01/21/behind-msrtc-strike-suicides-terminations-court-battles-and-low-salaries|title=Behind MSRTC strike: Suicides, terminations, court battles and low salaries|work=News Laundry|date=21 January 2022|accessdate=25 April 2022|author=Sodhi, Tanishka}}

"[https://msrtc.org.in/ MSRTC Bus Timetable 2026] | एसटी बस वेळापत्रक महाराष्ट्र | ST Bus Time Table". ''MSRTC''. Retrieved 23 March 2026.</ref>

== Gallery ==
<gallery>
File:MSRTC-Ashwamedh-Scania.jpg|ASHWAMEDH - AC RECLINER
File:Scania Metrolink HD 14.5 M Ashwamedh.jpg|ASHWAMEDH SCANIA -AC RECLINER
File:Shivneri bus of MSRTC.jpg|SHIVNERI - AC RECLINER
File:ST-bus.jpg|REGULAR PARIVARTAN BUS #LALPARI#
File:VITHAI.jpg|VITHAI BUS
File:SHIVAI2.jpg|SHIVAI ELECTRIC BUS
File:BHIMASHANKAR BUS.jpg|BHIMASHANKAR TOURISM BUS
File:SHITAL BUS.jpg|SHITAL BUS
File:MGBUS.jpg|NEW MG BUSES
File:MG-SLEEPER 2.jpg|ROYAL SLEEPER+SEATER
File:MG-MSRTC.jpg|SLEEPER+SEATER MG BUS
File:SHIVSHAI.jpg|SHIVSHAHI - AC RECLINER
File:Hirrkani.jpg|HIRKANI SEMI-LUXURIOUS
File:Yasss.jpg|YASHWANTI BUS
File:ASIAD.jpg|ASIAD SEMI-LUXURIOUS
</gallery>

== References ==
{{Reflist| refs=
<ref name="MSRTC-History">{{cite web |title=History of MSRTC |url=https://msrtc.maharashtra.gov.in/index.php/node/index/3 |website=msrtc.maharashtra.gov.in |access-date=8 February 2019}}</ref>
<ref name="training">{{cite news|title= Soon, computer-aided training for MSRTC drivers |url=http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-soon-computer-aided-training-for-msrtc-drivers-2047712 |first=Mewati |last=Sitaram |date=29 December 2014 |work=[[Daily News and Analysis]] |location=Mumbai |access-date=31 May 2015}}</ref>
<ref name="online-reservation">{{cite web|url=http://public.msrtcors.com/ticket_booking/ticket_booking.php |title=:: MSRTC :: Online Reservation System |publisher=Public.msrtcors.com |access-date=2012-07-25}}</ref>
<ref name="MSRTC-Fleet">{{cite web |title=MSRTC Fleet |url=https://www.msrtc.org.in/msrtc-fleet.php |website=MSRTC |access-date=28 July 2019}}</ref>
<ref name="TOI-1">{{cite news |title=MSRTC's new fleet of luxury buses scheduled to hit city roads by Diwali |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolhapur/MSRTCs-new-fleet-of-luxury-buses-scheduled-to-hit-city-roads-by-Diwali/articleshow/49147755.cms |access-date=28 July 2019 |agency=The Times of India |date=29 September 2015}}</ref>
<ref name="TOI-2">{{cite news |title=MSRTC adds Vithai buses to its fleet |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/pune/msrtc-adds-vithai-buses-to-its-fleet/articleshow/67304894.cms |access-date=28 July 2019 |agency=The Times of India |date=30 December 2018}}</ref>
<ref name="Thesis-1">{{cite thesis |last=Ghumare |first=S V |date=2011 |title=A critical study of organisation and management of Maharashtra State road transport corporation (1992 to 93 to 2002 to 03) |chapter=1 |publisher=Savitribai Phule Pune University |chapter-url=https://shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in/bitstream/10603/152520/10/08_chapter%201.pdf |access-date=28 July 2019}}</ref>
}}

== External links ==
{{Wikinews|State transport bus falls in river; at least 17 dead}}
*[http://msrtc.gov.in/ Official website of MSRTC]
*[https://www.yatra.com/bus-operators-india/msrtc MSRTC]

{{State owned road transport companies in India}}
{{Government of Maharashtra}}

[[Category:State agencies of Maharashtra]]
[[Category:Road transport in Maharashtra]]
[[Category:Bus companies of India]]
[[Category:State road transport corporations of India]]
[[Category:Companies based in Mumbai]]
[[Category:1948 establishments in Bombay State]]
[[Category:1960 establishments in Maharashtra]]
[[Category:Transport companies established in 1948]]

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Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation