Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Tuesday dedicated 5,150 air-conditioned electric buses to the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) fleet, as per the PTI.

Addressing a gathering at the Khopat bus depot in Thane, CM Shinde called for improvements in all ST bus depots in the state to ensure better passenger amenities and announced surprise inspections to monitor progress, according to the PTI.

The addition of 5,150 electric buses to the MSRTC fleet marks a significant step towards modernisation and environmental sustainability, he said, while reiterating the importance of transitioning from diesel to LNG buses to reduce pollution.

CM Eknath Shinde assured prompt resolution of pending issues concerning MSRTC workers and staff and emphasised the importance of competing effectively with private bus operators.

CM Shinde also emphasised the importance of extending e-bus and AC bus services to rural areas of the state.

Meanwhile, Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde on Tuesday inaugurated the Panvel-Shil Phata flyover on NH-48 (Old Mumbai Pune Highway), the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) said.

According to an official statement, the road at Kalyan Phata Junction is being heavily utilised, and the projects of infrastructure development that are underway in the surrounding regions are bound to result in furthermore elevation of traffic. The flyover is anticipated to make a valiant contribution toward traffic decongestion at NH-48 by regulating traffic movements from JNPT and Thane. Moreover, people who frequent this route will start saving a significant proportion of their time and money, in addition to reducing their regular fuel consumption.

CM Shinde said, “MMRDA is making huge and successful leaps toward infrastructure development and sustainability through a series of ambitious and innovative projects from time to time. This flyover is one of the intuitive projects that are essential in redefining transportation infrastructure in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), and I feel elated to have inaugurated this brilliant endeavour.”

The Shil Phata flyover in its entirety is equipped with 3 + 3 lanes covering a total width of 24 metres, and it extends for a length of 739.5 metres. The length of the viaduct is 300 metres, while the approach toward the Mumbra side (A1) and the approach at the Panvel side (A2) are of lengths 271.5 metres and 168.0 metres, respectively. The cost of this project was estimated to be around Rs 45.68 Crores. It constitutes a dual carriageway, with each arm facilitating 3 separate lanes adding up to a width of 12 metres. One arm of the dual carriageway will serve Panvel Bound traffic, whereas the other arm will ensure the smooth movement of Thane Bound traffic. As the inauguration enables the utilisation of the Panvel Bound flyover, the Thane Bound flyover is eagerly anticipated to be inaugurated within the next two months.

(with PTI inputs)

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