Now, 'Shivneri Sundari' to welcome passengers on e-Shivneri buses between Pune-Mumbai

Mumbai, Oct 1 (PTI) Next time you travel on state-run electric luxury buses between Mumbai and Pune, don't be surprised if you are greeted on-board by a friendly attendant, "Shivneri Sundari," whose job will be akin to an air hostess.

In a move aimed at improving service quality and enhance travel experience on e-Shivneri buses, the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC), under its new chairman Bharat Gogawale, on Tuesday announced the introduction of air hostess-like attendants on these AC vehicles plying between the two key cities under the brand name "Shivneri".

As per a MSRTC release, the decision was taken at the state-owned transport corporation's 304th board meeting chaired by Gogawale in Mumbai and it seeks to provide air travel-like hospitality to commuters travelling on the 200-km-long busy route.

Appointing these attendants, who will welcome and assist passengers, will "elevate the quality of Shivneri e-bus travel without any additional charge to tickets" bought by commuters who complete the journey in around 4 hours, said the release.

As many as 70 different topics were discussed at the meeting, and approval to deploy "Shivneri Sundari" bus attendants was one of the most important decisions taken by the MSRTC board, it said.

The popular e-Shivneri buses are a point-to-point service with only the driver on-board, while conductors issue tickets to passengers at designated halts on the route between Mumbai and Pune.

The MSRTC's board also approved the procurement of 2,500 new buses and initiated a tender process for the same. It also discussed a proposal to convert 100 diesel buses into electric ones on a pilot basis.

The corporation, which has more than 15,000-strong fleet, has already announced a project for the conversion of 5,000 diesel-run buses into liquefied natural gas (LNG)-operated ones.

In the release, the state-owned transport body said the board also gave its nod to a plan to set up "Anand Arogya Kendras" (health centres) in memory of Shiv Sena stalwart the late Anand Dighe at 343 bus stations across Maharashtra.

"These centres will offer affordable health check-ups and medicines to both travellers and local residents under one roof. For this purpose, the MSRTC will provide 400 to 500 square feet space at bus stations for health service providers to establish clinics, pathology labs, and pharmacies," the release highlighted.

The MSRTC will establish two new depots at Mul in Chandrapur district and Dharni in Amravati district, both tribal-dominated areas, taking the total number of such facilities to 253, improving accessibility in these regions, it said.

In another innovative move, the MSRTC will allocate space to women's self-help groups at bus stations to set up stalls selling local products. These 10x10 stalls will be made available at nominal rent, providing a platform to local women entrepreneurs to showcase and sell their goods.

The MSRTC, one of the largest state-run transport corporations in the country, has a workforce of 90,000. Everyday, nearly 55 lakh passengers are ferried by ST buses, which are considered the travel lifeline of Maharashtra. PTI KK RSY