Pune: The Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) has decided to introduce air-conditioned buses to popular religious destination Shirdi, in its bid to take on private operators.
The move follows overwhelming response to MSRTC bus service to Goa and Mahabaleshwar. Senior officials said this is the first time they have started service of air-conditioned semi-luxury 'Shivshahi' buses to the popular location.
“Many passengers travel to Shirdi by private AC bus. We are planning to start AC service for Shirdi. The service will start by next month, ie December, whenever the permit will be given. The first week of November saw us launching the Pune-Goa and Pune-Mahabaleshwar air-conditioned bus service, which became a hit. We presently have a load factor of at least 70 to 80 per cent on the route,” said a senior official of the department.
“We are already running Hirkani, the semi-luxury buses for Shirdi. The bus will run eight trips, four from each side, and will start from 6 am. The fare between Pune and Shirdi will be Rs 250 to 300, way less than the fare charged by private players. We plan to add more buses across different routes, but that will happen in phases,” the official said.
Ashutosh Kashyap, who travels to Shirdi once a month, said that though a little late, MSRTC has finally woken up to the need to start their bus service to the popular religious destination. “Eventually, they have to compete in the market and for that, new services are essential. We are students and hence, this is a good option for us.”
Cheaper option
At present, a trip to Shirdi from Pune via private buses costs Rs 450 to 500 per passenger. Some people book cabs, which cost nothing less than Rs 4,000-5,000.
The fare of Shivshahi bus service is expected to be between Rs 250 to Rs 300.