The Manchar ST depot in Pune district has received five new ‘Rajmata Jijau’ buses, with another five expected to be added soon to improve rural public transport in Ambegaon taluka. The buses arrived at the depot on Friday and are expected to support services used by rural residents, college students and employees.
The depot, located at Tambde Mala in Manchar, has been operating for four years. During its initial period, it often received older buses transferred from other depots. The shortage of vehicles, combined with rising passenger numbers, placed pressure on services operating on rural routes, according to the report by Sakal – Pune.
The five newly arrived buses have increased the strength of the depot’s fleet to 29 vehicles. These buses operate on routes connecting villages in Ambegaon taluka as well as on longer-distance routes. The Maharashtra State Road Transport service is a key link for passengers in areas where alternatives such as private buses or rail services may not be readily available.
Manchar depot chief Arif Patel said the additional buses would allow the depot to increase the number of trips on various routes across the taluka. The statement did not specify which routes would receive additional services or when the revised timetable would be implemented.
The latest allocation follows earlier efforts to secure more vehicles for the depot. Former Maharashtra home minister Dilip Walse Patil had pursued the request with the state transport corporation and had also instructed Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik to make five more buses available to the depot. About one-and-a-half years ago, the depot had received 10 new red ST buses through similar efforts.
Walse Patil said the depot would receive five additional new buses soon. He said the objective was to provide safer and more comfortable travel for rural passengers, students and residents. The first batch of five buses has now arrived, while the timing of the second batch has not been specified.
The expansion will give the depot greater operating capacity, but its immediate effect will depend on how the buses are assigned across routes and how frequently services are scheduled. The depot has said that trips on various routes will be increased, with further details expected when the revised operations are announced.
