PUNE: The Pune division of the MSRTC will start special tours to tourist spots like
Mahabaleshwar
and other religious places to get additional revenue from Saturday.
Officials said a bus to Mahabaleshwar will start from Saturday. “It will take people to popular spots in Mahabaleshwar. This service will be every weekend and the fare per person is Rs480. The bus will leave at 7am and will return by 9:30pm,” Pune’s traffic manager Dnyaneshwar Ranavare, said.
“We have revived the bus service to Panjim and Pratapgad. Long tours to religious places have also begun. Buses from Shivajinagar and Pimpri are taking tourists to Tuljapur, Mahurgad and Saptashrungi. It will be a three-day tour which will cost Rs2395, excluding hotel stay. MSRTC will arrange hotels,” another official said.
Transport body officials said the special tours were under ‘ST Sange Paryatan’ (Tourism with ST) initiative. “Before the pandemic, the Pune division used to run around 5000 buses every day but presently, the number is around 4000. We need to improve revenues hence, special tours have been planned. Soon, we will be starting buses to tourists spots like Lonavla, Mulshi Dam and Balaji Temple in Hyderabad,” the official added.
MSRTC sources said unexplored places are also being considered. “Tours to states like Kerala are being considered and decision will happen soon,” the official said.