MSRTC to Launch 100 Electric Buses Just in Time for Diwali Festivities
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The Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) will introduce 100 new electric buses this month, just in time for the Diwali festival. These 12-meter-long buses are part of a larger order of 5,150 electric buses from Olectra Greentech Limited, as confirmed by an MSRTC official.
The new buses will operate on key routes including Imamwada-Nagpur, Chandrapur, Nashik, Borivali, and Satara. The deployment is expected to be complete in time for the Diwali season rush, boosting the transport capacity during the festive period.
Earlier, a wet lease contractor had supplied 130 electric “Midi” buses, each 9 meters long, to the MSRTC. With the addition of the new 12-meter buses, the corporation’s passenger capacity will increase significantly. Each new bus is equipped with 45 seats, excluding the driver’s seat, and can travel up to 400 km on a single charge. The charging process takes just 1.45 hours.
In addition, 13 buses from a previous order were recently delivered, completing the contractor’s total of 100 buses. The remaining 87 had been delivered earlier and are already in service, primarily on the busy Mumbai-Pune route.
The MSRTC has a fleet size of around 16,000 buses, which serve nearly 53 lakh passengers daily. The introduction of electric buses is expected to improve both efficiency and environmental sustainability in the state’s public transport system.
With the growing fleet of electric buses, MSRTC aims to meet the increasing demand for public transport while contributing to eco-friendly commuting options in Maharashtra.
