The Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) has introduced monthly and quarterly pass schemes for passengers using its electric bus (e-bus) services, the corporation announced on Thursday. Maharashtra Transport Minister and MSRTC Chairman Pratap Sarnaik said the initiative is aimed at benefitting regular commuters who travel daily on fixed routes for work or business, while also encouraging the use of clean and sustainable public transport. At present, MSRTC operates 448 e-buses under its electric bus project and an additional 50 e-buses under the Shivai initiative, with plans to expand the fleet further in the coming years. “There has been growing demand from commuters to introduce a pass system for e-bus travel. Taking this into account, MSRTC has rolled out this scheme to make commuting more affordable and convenient,” Sarnaik said in a statement. Details Of The Pass Scheme The passes will be available for 9-metre e-buses, 12-metre e-buses, and e-Shivai services, while the e-Shivneri luxury service will remain excluded. The monthly pass, valid for 30 days, will be priced at the equivalent of 20 round-trip fares on the selected route. The quarterly pass, valid for 90 days, will cost the equivalent of 60 round-trip fares. Pass holders for higher-category services such as e-buses can also travel in semi-luxury or ordinary buses. Conversely, passengers with lower-category passes opting to travel by e-bus must pay the fare difference. Sarnaik expressed confidence that the decision would provide financial relief to daily travellers and promote wider adoption of environment-friendly transport options across Maharashtra. Staff Demands Under Review Earlier this week, Sarnaik also met MSRTC workers’ unions at Mantralaya, where he assured that the government was positive about addressing pending staff demands. Speaking after the meeting, he said issues related to dearness allowance, house rent allowance, arrears, and Diwali festival advances, pending since 2018, would be discussed with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Ministers Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar. The pending dues, he said, total around Rs 44 billion, and the government is expected to take a favourable decision soon. The meeting was attended by MSRTC Managing Director Dr Madhav Kusekar, Joint Secretary Rajendra Holkar, and representatives from various unions including Sandeep Shinde, Sameer More, Shrirang Barge, Hanumant Tate, Prakash Nimbalkar, Mukesh Tigote, and Pradeep Dhurandhar. The new e-bus pass scheme and the ongoing worker negotiations mark a significant step in modernising Maharashtra’s public transport system, combining both sustainability and welfare-focused reforms.