The Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation, MSRTC was established in 1973. But the earlier services started way back in 1948 when it was just State Transport Bombay. ST Bombay was later renamed Bombay State Road Transport Corporation (BSRTC) and later into MSRTC after the reorganisation of the states.
The first bus service was from Pune to Ahmednagar. Later when MSRTC was formed, the services were a confluence of Bombay, Hyderabad, and Madhya Pradesh. It was only day services initially. The night services slowly started in 1956 when it was a partial night service. Their overnight services did not start until 1982, during the Asian Games. These buses used to serve as a transportation facility not just for people but also for transporting mail and goods from one place to another.
The initial services of the state RTC used to be on buses with wooden bodies and a distinct blue and golden colour. The services started on 30 Bedford buses and later other makes were added to the fleet or changed. The types include Albion, Bedford, Chevrolet, Commer, Fiat, Fort, Leyland, Morris Commercial, Seddon, and Studebaker among the 10 types of buses used in the initial period. Neelkamal and Giriyarohini were the two luxury buses initiated on the Pune-Mahabaleshwar route. Nowadays, the MSRTC operates different types of buses on different routes within the state and on different interstate routes as well.
The Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation operates ordinary buses to luxurious as well as electric buses on different routes. The seating arrangement in these buses can be 2+2, 2+1, and 2+3, depending on the type. These buses may or may not have an air conditioning system. They may also have only seaters, sleepers, or seaters and sleepers both.
Types of MSRTC Buses
1. Ordinary Buses
The ordinary buses of MSRTC are non-AC-seater buses. These buses operate in the daytime schedule or as night buses. Both of these have the same type of buses having 2+2 seating arrangements. The daytime buses are called Lalpari Parivartan Ordinary Express Non AC Seater, and the night buses are Parivartan Night Express(Non AC Seater 2+2. These buses will just have clean and comfortable seats with space for luggage storage overhead. They usually operate shorter distances having a travel duration of up to 3-5 hrs. Some common routes where you see these types of buses include Pune to Ahmednagar, Ahmednagar to Pune, Pune to Shrigonda, Pune to Jamkhed, Mandangad to Mumbai, Wai to Pune, Malegaon to Nasik, Jamkhed to Pune, Revdanda to Mumbai, Pune to Karjat, etc.
2. Semi Luxury(Hirkani)
As the name suggests, the Hirkani buses of MSRTC are semi-luxurious. These buses are all non-AC seaters with the seats reclining slightly for a more comfortable ride. The number of seats in these buses will be slightly different than you see in other ordinary buses. There may not be any other amenities other than overhead luggage storage on these buses. These buses are operational on longer distance routes where you have to travel for more than 5-6 hrs. These reclining seats will keep you comfortable for these rides. The seating arrangement here will be 2+2. Some bus routes where Hirkani buses of MSRTC are seen include Mumbai to Alibag, Mumbai to Palgad, etc.
3. Yashwanti Midi Bus
The Midi buses of MSRTC are named Yashwanti. These buses are smaller buses that operate in the rural areas and outskirts of Mumbai. These buses will have standard seaters, limited in number. There are no amenities available onboard, luxurious or semi-luxurious. These buses are distinctive with their light green colours with the name displayed on their sides. The seating arrangement inside the buses is 2+2. Yashwanti buses are equipped for shorter distances. Mumbai, Palgad, Karjat, Matheran, Neral, etc are some places that are connected by these buses.
4. Ordinary Sleeper Seater Buses
MSRTC operates some buses having both seaters and sleeper berths on the same bus. These are called ordinary sleeper seater non-AC buses. This is a more economical option for travelling long distances and overnight journeys. Despite the lack of cooling inside, people can choose to travel comfortably by choosing either the sleeper berths or reclining seats. The seats in them are arranged in a 2+1 manner while the sleeper berths are also arranged in a 2+1 fashion. The sleeper berths are provided over the seaters with a climbing ladder for access. These ordinary sleeper seater buses come with amenities such as night lamps, reading lights, fans, charging ports, etc. Routes which have these types of buses include Pune to Aurangabad, Mumbai to Dapoli, Mumbai to Palgad, etc.
5. Shivshahi AC Seater
The AC seater buses of MSRTC are called Shivshahi. These types of buses are now widely available on almost all major routes of MSRTC. The buses will have air-conditioning, comfortable seats, overhead storage space, etc. The seats here are reclining, just standard seats. Shivshahi buses will be suitable for those willing to pay a bit extra for a more comfortable journey. Tickets on these buses are available at affordable rates. Common routes having the Shivshahi bus service are Mumbai to Khandala, Mumbai to Dapoli, Mumbai to Wai, Mumbai to Shirwal, etc.
6. Shivneri Buses
Shivneri buses are the more luxurious AC buses operated by MSRTC. These are Volvo AC seater buses having a seating arrangement of 2+2. The seats are reclining, semi-sleepers. They are luxurious buses having additional amenities such as reading lights, charging ports, luggage storage etc. These types of buses are operational in major routes such as Pune to Mumbai, Thane to Pune, Pune to Aurangabad, Pune to Ahmednagar, etc. On the routes that they are available, the number of services is limited to a few buses per day.
7. Ashwamedh Buses
Ashwamedh buses of MSRTC buses are a bit more luxurious with multi-axle for a more comfortable journey. They are AC-seater or semi-sleeper buses with reclining seats. These are longer than SHivneri buses and have a passenger capacity of 53. These are operational on long-distance routes where the travel duration is more than 10, such as 15-16 hrs, etc. the seating arrangement is the same as the other one, 2+2. One example of routes with these buses is Mumbai to Bangalore.
8. Shivai Electric
As a green travel initiative, MSRTC has started the SHivai electric buses on 100 routes to and from Pune, Mumbai etc. The first such bus operated on the Mumbai to Pune route. The other popular routes include Borivali-Pune, Dadar-Pune, Nashik-Pune, Thane to Pune, etc. These buses will have air conditioning, 2+2 seating, and a seating capacity of 43. They are also equipped with a panic button, GPS system, CCTV coverage, and ramps for disabled people. The Maharashtra Government is planning to add more buses of this type and widen its services to other routes as well.
MSRTC Bus Stations and Other Facilities
MSRTC bus stands and depots provide some basic facilities such as food stalls and refreshments. The major facilities of MSRTC are seen on the ticket rates and concessions for people of various categories.
The MSRTC bus ticket rates are generally much lower when compared to private bus operators on the
What is the difference between Shivshahi and Shivneri buses?
The Shivshahi and Shivneri buses of MSRTC are both AC-seater buses. They differ mainly in their make. While the Shivshahi buses are Volvo AC seaters, the Shivneri buses are multi-axle Scania buses. The seating arrangement is the same in both types but the Shivneri buses are more comfortable than the other type. Moreover, Shivshahi buses are available on all the major routes of all the districts in Maharashtra. Shivneri buses are available only on the Mumbai-Aurangabad routes. Both these buses have varying ticket rates but they will be on the higher side since these are luxurious buses with more amenities than other types of buses operated by MSRTC.
Conclusion
Several routes will have different types of MSRTC buses available at different rates. This has been a USP of MSRTC buses by making different ticket rates available on the same route to include people of all budgets. Improvements have been made to their services with more emphasis on electric and buses operating on LPG gases. Soon, MSRTC will be operating electric buses to curb the pollution.
MSRTC has enabled an online booking service for almost all its routes. Except for a few types of buses, you can now book tickets online. Most of these online bookings will let you choose your seat as well. The redBus online portal and the mobile app are convenient for MSRTC online bus ticket booking.