Mumbai: The Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) has announced a 15% discount for passengers travelling on state transport buses if they book their ticket in advance, said transport minister Pratap Sarnaik, on Monday. From July 1, the concession will be applicable to journeys longer than 150 km. the concession would apply to all types of buses–regular, semi luxury and luxury Shivneri. (Ravindra Joshi/HT Photo)

The scheme was first mentioned by Sarnaik on June 1, the 77th Foundation Day of the MSRTC, and it hopes to attract passengers to MSRTC buses during the non peak season. Sarnaik said that the concession would apply to all types of buses–regular, semi luxury and luxury Shivneri. He added that people planning to visit Pandharpur for Ashadhi Ekadashi on July 6 and those returning home to Konkan for the Ganesh festival can benefit from the discount.

Passengers who reserve their ticket online, through an app, or by visiting the state transport depot, can avail this discount. According to officials of MSRTC, passengers travelling on Mumbai-Pune route in a regular bus can save ₹40- ₹56 in a semi luxury bus and ₹90 in the luxury Shivneri bus. Traveling on the Mumbai-Chiplun, passengers can save ₹68 by booking their ticket in advance. Officials added that this discount applied only to routine buses.