Tata Motors to supply 5,000 new buses to Maharashtra state transport fleet

Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation, known as ST, is set to add around 5,000 new buses from Tata Motors to its fleet. The tender process for the purchase has been completed and Tata Motors offered the lowest rate, transport minister Pratap Sarnaik said.

The corporation is making a large-scale effort to modernise its bus fleet, and the 5,000 new buses are part of that push. Sarnaik expressed confidence that there would be no compromise on the quality of the new buses. He said the new fleet would strengthen ST services in both rural areas and cities across the state.

Many buses in the ST fleet have grown old, and more than 5,000 old buses are expected to go out of service in the next six months. The new buses are seen as essential for the corporation. Once they enter service, the burden on old buses will ease and trips on various routes can be increased, helping provide passengers a better, safer and more reliable service. The move is also meant to tackle problems such as old, leaking buses and breakdowns on the road.

The corporation has already begun modernising its fleet earlier. So far, 2,640 buses with a 2-by-2 seating arrangement have joined the fleet. In addition, 3,000 "Rajmata Jijau" buses with a 3-by-2 seating arrangement are being added. With the new buses, the ST fleet is being made more modern, capable and suited to passengers' needs. The change is seen as significant for ST, which is described as the "lifeline" of rural Maharashtra.

Sarnaik said that once the 5,000 new buses join the fleet, efforts will be made to provide more trips based on passenger demand, with rural passengers likely to benefit the most. The minister said the aim would be to provide bus trips "on demand", but he also appealed to passengers to cooperate so that such routes do not run at a loss.

ST is the main mode of daily travel for lakhs of passengers in the state, particularly in rural and remote areas where large numbers of people depend on it. The arrival of the 5,000 new buses is expected to increase the availability of bus services and make travel easier for passengers. Attention now turns to when the new Tata Motors buses will join the fleet and on which routes they will begin service.