Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) or simply called as ’’ST’’ is the life-line of Maharashtra. It has a monopoly in stage carriers in the state and is one of the biggest fleet-owners in India with 16000-odd buses! The operate to the nook-and-corner of the state. They predominantly have only Ordinary and sem-luxury services. They have Airbuses and Volvo, but very limited in number and seen only on very selected routes!
They charge a minimum fare of Rs. 4 (57 ps/km) for their ordinary services. They are reputed for their punctuality. They never mind operating buses with majority of the seats empty, but timely departure guaranteed!
Their drivers are very experienced and are experts in reaching the destination in the shortest possible time in a safe way!
Though their buses tend to be dirty and ill-maintained, they are the most prefered for town-services and short distance trips. I simply love seeing the red-cream monsters zipping across highways!
They lead in services in the Mumbai-Pune sector offering services with a frequency of one bus in every 10-15 minutes and they make sure that the 190-odd kilometre distance is covered in not more than 3 hours and 30 minutes! They offer Volvo, Airbus, Semi-Luxury and Ordinary services in this route. THeir volvos charge Rs. 200 for an end-to-end trip and Punctuality is guaranteed!