MSRTC to scrap 72 end-of-life Shivshahi & Shivneri buses

With the Pune division of the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) deciding to scrap 72 unserviceable and end-of-life Shivshahi and Shivneri buses, these buses will be auctioned on Friday, March 21, through the Metal Scrap Trade Corporation (MSTC), a central government agency. The MSRTC estimates that the auction of these defunct buses will generate around ₹2.5 to ₹3 crore.

Pramod Nehul, MSRTC Pune divisional controller, said, “The auction process has been initiated for scrapping 72 unserviceable Shivneri and Shivshahi buses at the MSRTC Pune office on March 21.”

“Scrapping end-of-life buses is a regular process. Last year (2024), MSRTC scrapped 240 such buses from 14 depots, generating ₹8.5 crore in revenue,” Nehul said.

The move comes after transport minister Pratap Sarnaik directed that all end-of-life and unserviceable buses at bus stations across the state be scrapped by April 15 following the recent instance of sexual assault at the Swargate bus stand. At the rear of the MSRTC Pune divisional office located on Shankarsheth Road, a short distance from Swargate bus stand, 72 end-of-life and unserviceable Shivshahi and Shivneri buses are lying idle for the past year. These buses occupy significant space, creating challenges in parking operational buses and expanding charging facilities. The MSRTC has therefore decided to scrap them immediately to increase charging capacity. Meanwhile, new buses have started being added to the MSRTC fleet, with 30 eco-friendly Shivai buses introduced so far.

According to central government policies, the MSTC is the official platform for such auctions. Bus details and quantities are listed on the website, and tenders are submitted accordingly. Only officially approved agencies or buyers selected by the government can participate in the auction. During the process, bids are placed on individual bus components such as seats, iron, engines, oil, metal sheets, wheels, and electrical parts, or on the entire bus as is. The highest bidder gets the bus, which is then scrapped within a stipulated timeframe.