Latest news with #Shivshahi
Hindustan Times
27-05-2025
- Automotive
- Hindustan Times
Revoke 5,510 e-buses contract: Min
MUMBAI: State transport minister Pratap Sarnaik directed officials of the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) to cancel the contract for procuring 5510 electric vehicles (EV) on lease from Evey Trans Pvt Ltd, a sister company of Olectra Geentech Ltd, if the company fails to deliver around 1000 EV buses by mid-July, as promised earlier. Sarnaik said this on Monday in a meeting with MSRTC officials while reviewing the progress of procuring EVs on lease. The minister was irked by the company shifting the deadline for the delivery repeatedly in the past. The company first reneged on its promise to deliver 1000 buses by December 2024, requesting an extension till May 2025 which was further pushed to July 2025. It was also discussed in the meeting that till date MSRTC had received only 240 buses from the company of the 5510 buses. 'Not a single unit of the around 1000 buses have been supplied yet. If they fail in their promise again, cancel the contract for all 5150 buses with the company,' Sarnaik said in the meeting. Sarnaik also asked MSRTC to convert the existing Shivshahi buses gradually into Hirkani buses – the latter falls in the semi-luxury segment. He said that these buses should be painted in green and white colours, so that passengers can easily identify them.
Time of India
26-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Maha minister instructs cancellation of electric bus contract due to supplier inactivity
Mumbai: The company responsible for supplying 5,150 electric buses on a lease basis has proven to be inactive, and action should be taken to cancel the tender contract made by the ST Corporation with this company, instructed transport minister and MSRTC chairman Pratap Sarnaik. He was speaking at a review meeting held at the corporation headquarters on Monday. Sarnaik said that the supplier was given a revised schedule to deliver 1,000 buses by May 22. However, the company failed to supply even a single bus within this timeframe. "This raises doubts about the company's ability to supply buses in the future. At a time when the corporation urgently needs buses, if the supplier cannot deliver on time, the tender contract with this company should be cancelled," he said. The existing Shivshahi buses operated by the ST Corporation should be gradually reconstructed and converted into Hirkani (semi-luxury) buses, the minister suggested at the meeting. "These buses should be painted in the traditional green and white colours, as they were previously," he said. He further said that during visits to various bus stations across the state, he observed severe negligence regarding cleanliness. There have been frequent complaints from passengers, especially female passengers, in this regard. "Once flaws are pointed out, action must be taken by holding the responsible officials accountable. If such negligent officials are being shielded, it will not be tolerated under any circumstances," he added.
Time of India
12-05-2025
- Automotive
- Time of India
MSRTC to convert 7 Shivshahi buses into regular non-AC vehicles
1 2 Pune: The Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) will convert seven Shivshahi buses into non-air-conditioned semi-luxury vehicles, signalling the start of discontinuing the previously prestigious Shivshahi service. "The decision in this regard was taken in the board meeting on Monday. Accordingly, the seven Shivshahi buses will be converted into non-AC semi-luxury vehicles on an experimental basis. The buses will be redesigned to resemble MSRTC's Hirkani semi-luxury vehicles," a senior MSRTC official said. Abhijit Bhosle, the public relations officer of MSRTC, confirmed the development in its report last month, had reported that MSRTC was looking to stop Shivshahi operations and convert them into non-AC buses. The first batch of Shivshahi buses rolled out in 2017 to provide a comfortable AC ride to passengers at less fare as compared to Shivneri buses operating between Pune and Mumbai. At present, there are 790 Shivshahi buses in MSRTC fleet."The Shivshahi buses are in poor condition with non-functional ACs, dirty interiors and frequent breakdowns. MSRTC didn't take any steps to revive them. I travelled in these buses before the Covid-19 pandemic and recently, and there has been a strak decline," Satej Dore, a frequent commuter and a bank employee, told Palke, another frequent commuter, disagreed and said: "Instead of buying new buses, MSRTC should have revamped the existing Shivshahi buses with a fresh look and proper maintenance. If they can't take care of their current fleet, there's no guarantee they'll do better with the new ones."Sources in MSRTC said by year-end, they would be able to take a call on stopping Shivshahi buses. "There have been several complaints about the buses. If the experiment doesn't work, we will think about other options, which can include the revival of these buses," another official said.
