The long-delayed Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) Shivajinagar bus station project has finally made progress, as the state government has directed Maharashtra Metro Rail Corporation Limited (Maha-Metro) to complete the project within the next three years and return the land at Wakdewadi, where the bus depot is currently operating, to the Dairy Development Department.
Pune Metro had been given one acre of land for an underground Shivajinagar metro station on the four acres owned by MSRTC. The Shivajinagar bus depot was relocated to the Dairy Development Department’s Wakdewadi location, 1.5 kilometers away, when metro construction began in December 2019. Now, the bus depot is set to return to its original location, with a detailed project report (DPR) being prepared and a tender to be floated soon. The project will include a bus station, depot, parking, and staff quarters.
The land lease to Maha-Metro expired on March 15, 2022, but the property was not returned to the Dairy Development Department. The lease has now been extended to 2027.
Meanwhile, the bus depot at Wakdewadi, located along the Pune-Mumbai highway, has worsened traffic congestion on the already busy road, causing inconvenience to commuters.
