Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) has announced a 30% fare hike for passengers booking one-way group travel through the group booking system.
According to MSRTC, under the existing system, groups of at least 40 passengers can reserve buses for direct travel between two locations. These group bookings are especially common during major festivals such as Gauri Ganpati, Holi, and Ashadhi Wari to Pandharpur, where large numbers of devotees travel in groups using MSRTC services. Until now, passengers were charged based on regular fare slabs applicable to the distance traveled, and they could also avail themselves of government discount schemes such as the Senior Citizen Concession and Women’s Honor Scheme.
"However, since most group bookings are for one-way travel, the return journey often sees buses running empty due to a lack of passengers, particularly when a large number of buses are deployed in a short time frame to the same destination. This results in considerable financial losses for MSRTC" said an official.
Citing these reasons, the Vice Chairman and Managing Director of MSRTC, along with the Transport Minister of Maharashtra (who also serves as MSRTC Chairman), have approved a fare revision for one-way group bookings. The approval follows the powers granted to them under MSRTC Resolution No. 2015:11:06 dated November 7, 2015, and in line with the state government's notification (Extraordinary Gazette No. 71 dated May 6, 2014).
MSRTC has clarified that other existing charges such as accident assistance fund, luggage charges, and reservation fees will continue as per current norms, and there is no change in other operational procedures related to group bookings.
The initiative is expected to help MSRTC offset some of the financial losses incurred due to underutilized return trips, while ensuring better allocation of resources during peak travel seasons.
Key Highlights of the New Policy:
Effective Date: The new fare structure will be implemented starting July 22, 2025.
One-Way Travel Bookings: A 30% surcharge will be levied on the applicable fare for the travel distance in case of one-way group bookings.
Round-Trip Bookings: Groups booking buses for round trips (to and fro) within a 24-hour window will continue to pay the existing fare without the 30% increase.
Bookings Beyond 24 Hours: If the return journey is booked more than 24 hours after arrival at the destination, the 30% fare increase will apply to both legs of the journey.
Discount Schemes: Eligible passengers availing concessions under schemes like Senior Citizen or Women’s Honor will be charged based on the revised fare, and reimbursement claims will be submitted to the government accordingly.
Applicability: The revised fare policy applies to all types of MSRTC buses available for group booking, except for those hired on rental basis.
