The Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) has prepared a comprehensive ‘five-point plan’ to enhance revenue, operational efficiency, and passenger facilities, Transport Minister and MSRTC Chairman Pratap Sarnaik announced on Friday.
The plan aims to clarify responsibilities from depot to regional offices and focus on improvements in speed, punctuality, and service quality, officials said.
Speaking at the MSRTC headquarters in Mumbai, Sarnaik said that the initiative will include daily review meetings, target setting, and updated schedules to ensure continuous improvements in passenger services.
MSRTC Vice-Chairman and Managing Director Dr Madhav Kusekar, along with heads of departments, regional managers, and controllers, were present at the meeting.
An official statement said that the MSRTC has defined itself as a “dynamic organisation” serving millions of passengers daily. Under the new plan, review meetings will be held every morning: at 10 am at the depot, 11 am at the division, and 12 noon at the regional level. These meetings will examine passenger complaints, cancelled trips, faulty vehicles, and absentee staff, ensuring immediate corrective actions.
Evening meetings from 4 to 6 pm will plan the next day’s transport schedule, preparing depots for everything from school trips to sudden surges in passengers.
Diesel accounts for the largest portion of MSRTC expenses.
Drivers will now receive daily targets based on KPTL (kilometres per 10 litres), with counselling, training, and advanced regional programmes offered for those underperforming, the statement said.
Ticket sales, the main revenue source, will also be monitored through daily CPKM (cumulative per kilometre income) targets for conductors. Staff failing to meet revenue goals will receive counselling, training, or reassignment as needed, it said.
The MSRTC’s timetable is considered the backbone of its operations. Complaints regarding long-distance bus services are being addressed through a scientific re-evaluation of schedules, with only centrally approved trips to run. New timetables for each bus station will be published on January 1, with promotion through social media to ensure punctuality and regularity, the statement said.
Long and medium-distance buses will now follow new standards, including increased reservation availability, maintaining at least 80 per cent occupancy, extra trips on high-demand days, and supervisor-monitored services. Online and mobile app reservations will also be strongly promoted, it said.
Under the motto “Passenger is God”, ST will focus on clean, well-maintained bus stations, daily sanitation checks at least three times a day, timely passenger information on delays or cancellations, alternative arrangements, and published contact details of officials. Depot managers have been instructed to prioritise swift complaint resolution.
Sarnaik stated that this five-point plan is not just a set of guiding principles but a concrete roadmap for the overall revival of ST, aiming to transform the organisation and significantly improve passenger experience.
