Govt reserves 25% of goods transport jobs for MSRTC ? Staff Reporter : ? MSRTC has launched Mahacargo goods transport service in a bid to increase revenue AGAINST the backdrop of losses incurred during the prevailing COVID-19 pandemic Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) launched goods transport service by the brand name Mahacargo under which changes passenger buses have been modified into goods transport carriages. Now the State Government has asked various departments to give at least 25 per cent of the goods transport jobs to MSRTC. Also tyre retreading of at least half of the Government vehicles is to be done at MSRTCs workshop. So far under Mahacargo MSRTC has converted 1150 passenger buses into goods transport vehicles through such modifications. As per the latest information it has finalised standard operating procedure (SOP) for operation of goods transport.Till date MSRTC has operated 90000 trips covering 125 lakh kms and transported approximately 7 lakh metric tonnes of goods of different kind. Buoyed with the experience Home Department has recently asked various departments to allot 25 per cent of the goods transport jobs to MSRTC. These departments except Food and Civil Supplies and Consumer Protection Department have been asked to provide 25 per cent of the transport jobs for which they carry out tender process and rope in private transporters. The rates at which they give jobs to private transporters will be applicable in case of MSRTC too. However MSRTC will not be required to participate in the tender process stated a recent communique issued by Meghana Shinde Desk Officer Home Department. Similarly tyre retreading of 50 per cent of public transport vehicles municipal transport vehicles and other Government undertaking vehicles should be done at Tyre Retreading Plant of MSRTC. Besides the maintenance and repairs of heavy vehicles and big passenger transport vehicles of Government departments should be done at MSRTCs respective Divisional Workshop states the communique. Transport Department of State Government issued a notification on May 18 last year to permit MSRTC to transport goods by passenger buses on stage-carriage till further notice. Accordingly MSRTC started goods transport by transporting consignment of mango boxes from Ratnagiri to Mumbai on May 21 2020 for the first time. Later on given the response to the service MSRTC modified passenger buses. It removed passenger seats carried out fabrication of doors in the rear end of the bus bulk-head partition closing of windows with panels etc. In the process already MSRTC goods transport service has got several clients ranging from District Collectors for transport of foodgrains under public distribution system Balbharti Mahabeej Election Commission for transport of electronic voting machines Forest Department for transporting saplings Food Corporation of India Rashtriya Chemicals and Fertilizers Shirdi Sansthan and even big private companies etc. It has transported mangoes fertilizers foodgrains seeds sugar vegetables construction material industrial goods oils solar equipment cement non-hazardous chemicals automobile parts books etc. Mahacargo facility is available 24x7 throughout Maharashtra.

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