MSRTC to add 200 Volvo AC buses by March 2027 to take on private luxury operators

The Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) has taken a major step to compete with private luxury bus services. To offer passengers a more comfortable and better journey, 200 state-of-the-art AC Volvo buses will be added to the ST fleet.

The plan is for the buses to join the corporation's fleet in phases by March 2027. Of these, 170 will be seater buses and 30 will be sleeper buses. They will be operated along the lines of the Shivneri bus service, so long-distance passengers are expected to get a new option for a comfortable journey.

Volvo Bus India has said it has won the contract to supply 200 buses to the ST corporation. It is said to be the largest bus supply contract the company has received in India so far. The move is meant to further strengthen intercity public transport in Maharashtra.

The new buses will be the Volvo 9600 model and will be built at the company's Hoskote plant. Keeping passenger needs in mind, the model will come in both seater and sleeper options. With the emphasis on air-conditioning and a comfortable journey, the buses are expected to prove useful for long-distance travel.

The new Volvo buses will run under the ST brand, which means they will carry the ST logo. As with the hired Shivneri bus service, the arrangement could be one in which the private company handles the driver and maintenance. However, the picture will become clear only once official details of the final terms and working of the new service emerge.

The effort will be to use ST's infrastructure and the trust passengers place in the corporation's brand to draw more passengers. A key aim of the initiative is to bring upper-middle-class and higher-income passengers, who prefer private luxury buses, over to ST.

The plan is to bring the buses into the fleet in phases by March 2027, and the idea is to start services on high-demand long-distance routes connecting major cities. However, the routes the buses will ply, the ticket fares and the timetable of regular trips have yet to be officially announced. When passengers will actually benefit from the service will therefore become clear only after further announcements.

The ST corporation is currently struggling with financial challenges and is trying to create new sources of revenue. Income did not improve as expected even after fares were raised, so the focus is on better services that attract passengers. In this context, the decision to introduce state-of-the-art Volvo buses is seen as significant.

According to Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik, the plan is to bring the buses into the fleet by March 2027. The new bus service could help ST compete with private luxury bus services. However, the success of the initiative will depend on ticket prices, the choice of routes, timing and the quality of service.