Nagpur e-bus services on the Chandrapur and Wardha routes will begin on October 1, with Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation introducing non-stop, air-conditioned and conductorless services offering 84 daily trips across the two intercity corridors.
The 12-metre electric buses will charge passengers Rs380 for a Nagpur–Chandrapur journey and Rs220 for travel between Nagpur and Wardha, according to MSRTC. The corporation said the non-stop services are intended to reduce travel time while providing passengers with a more comfortable intercity travel option.
The Nagpur–Chandrapur corridor will receive 26 departures from Nagpur and an equal number in the return direction, taking the total to 52 trips each day. The first bus from Nagpur is scheduled to leave at 6.30am and the last at 7.45pm. From Chandrapur, departures will run from 6.15am to 7pm.
On the Nagpur–Wardha route, MSRTC will operate 16 trips from Nagpur to Wardha and 16 return trips, resulting in 32 daily services. Buses from Nagpur will run between 7.15am and 6.15pm, while services from Wardha will operate within the same time window.
Passengers using the new services will be eligible for concessions available to senior citizens, Amrut senior citizens and beneficiaries of the Mahila Samman Yojana. MSRTC also said that other concessions applicable to its 12-metre e-Shivai buses would be available on these services.
The non-stop operating pattern means the buses will not make intermediate stops on the two routes, a change intended to shorten journey times for passengers travelling between Nagpur and the neighbouring cities. The multiple departures scheduled through the day will provide passengers with several travel options on both corridors.
The launch forms part of the Nagpur division’s expansion of electric bus services on intercity routes. MSRTC has appealed to passengers to make use of the new 12-metre air-conditioned e-bus services. The corporation has stated that operations on both routes will commence on October 1.