MSRTC’s 10 e-buses, liveried in design made by fan, arrive in Thane

Aditya Rane with a different bus during an exhibition; The new MSRTC buses at Thane depot have the colours ‘tomato red’ and ‘fresh green’. Pic Courtesy: Rohit Dhende; Bus enthusiast Aditya Rane

A bus enthusiast from Goregaon is ecstatic as the livery that he suggested for new e-buses of Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) has been accepted and the new fleet of buses has now started arriving.

MSRTC's 10 new nine-metre-long Olectra e-buses arrived at Thane depot last week. They are a part of the one mega order placed for e-buses by the MSRTC. A total of 5,150 buses, including 2,350 nine-metre-long and 2,800 12-metre-long buses will be plying across Maharashtra. The buses in Thane district will ply to nearby townships of Virar, Kalyan, Panvel and the overall Mumbai Metropolitan Region.

"I am very delighted to see the implementation of the colour scheme and design I suggested long ago for MSRTC's e-buses. The choice of red was intentional, aiming to preserve the historical ‘red fairy' or ‘laal pari' identity of the MSRTC buses," Aditya Rane told mid-day.

Gave several options

Rane, who is an architect and transport planner, is currently working as an Associate (Transport System) with the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP). ITDP is a non-governmental non-profit organisation that focuses on developing bus rapid transit systems, promoting biking, walking, and non-motorised transport, and improving private bus operators' margins. Rane said he had presented several options and the chosen colours for the bus include RGB codes for tomato red and fresh green.

"MSRTC's e-bus project involving 5,150 buses is the most significant milestone in its history. When I learnt of this initiative, my initial thought was that the buses should possess a distinctly modern identity while retaining the traditional ST appearance. I approached MSRTC and presented several options. I am very happy and excited to see that MSRTC not only liked but also accepted and implemented the design," Rane said.

At present, an average of around 55 lakh passengers use the 14,000 state transport buses primarily powered by CNG or diesel. Of the existing buses, only a very few are electric. By July 2025, MSRTC aims to convert over 33 per cent of its fleet into pollution-free e-buses.

5,150
Total e-buses ordered