Maharashtra to add 3,500 new buses to ST fleet in 2025, announces Minister Bharat Gogawale
Maharashtra to add 3,500 new buses to ST fleet in 2025, announces Minister Bharat Gogawale
Nagpur, December 19, 2024: In a bid to enhance public transportation services in Maharashtra, Minister and ST Chairman Bharat Gogawale announced the inclusion of 3,500 new “Lalpari” buses in the State Transport (ST) fleet in 2025. The announcement was made during a press conference in Nagpur.
Currently, the ST fleet has 14,000 buses, a sharp decline from the 18,000 buses it had in 2018 before the COVID-19 pandemic. Over the past few years, financial challenges and other issues prevented the purchase of new buses, leading to an increased breakdown rate and passenger inconvenience. To address this, the ST Corporation has decided to purchase 2,200 buses and lease 1,300 additional buses, with the process set to begin in January 2025.
Minister Gogawale expressed confidence that these new buses would reduce complaints about breakdowns and long waiting times, significantly improving passenger services in the new year.
The minister also highlighted plans for phased development of bus stations across the state. Some stations will be developed with government funding, while others will be built on a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) basis. He mentioned that the ongoing concreting of 183 bus station premises, initiated under the leadership of former Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, is gaining momentum. The Ganeshpeth bus station in Nagpur, part of this project, is nearing completion and is expected to become a model station in the Vidarbha region.
ST Vice Chairman and Managing Director Dr. Madhav Kusekar and senior officials were also present at the event.
