Baramati MP Supriya Sule on Sunday expressed concerns about the Baramati-Pune route bus service. She pointed out that while a conductorless, non-stop bus service was introduced by Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC), the Hirkani and Lal Pari buses have not been operating on this route for several months.
Instead, only Shivshahi buses are running, which have higher ticket prices and are often in poor condition, she added. As a result, these buses frequently break down, causing significant inconvenience to passengers. Sule has urged MSRTC to resume the Hirkani and Lal Pari services on this route under the conductorless, non-stop service for the benefit of Baramati residents and to stop operating faulty Shivshahi buses on this route.
For the uninitiated, Shivshahi buses are special edition AC buses that operate on a few selected routes in the state. However, the fare of these buses is higher than normal conductorless, non-stop buses like Hirkani and the regular red buses of MSRTC. Several Baramati residents had raised the issue that they have to pay the higher fare for the travel from Pune to Baramati.
Meanwhile, 72 Shivshahi and Shivneri buses that are no longer in operation and at the end of their useful lives will be put up for sale on Friday, March 21 by the Metal Scrap Trade Corporation (MSTC), a central government organization. According to the MSRTC, the sale of these abandoned buses is expected to bring in between ₹2.5 and ₹3 crore.
Last year (2024), MSRTC scrapped 240 such buses from 14 depots, generating ₹8.5 crore in revenue
