India, Sept. 10 -- The state government last week announced toll exemption for all Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) buses. The move comes at a time when a heavy rush for bookings is seen because of the Diwali season. For the corporation, it is a big relief as it will save approximately Rs.63 lakh every month ( Rs.2 lakh per day) in expenses, particularly on its popular E-Shivneri luxury bus service between Pune and Mumbai, one of the busiest routes of MSRTC.

Earlier, E-Shivneri buses had to bear heavy toll charges - Rs.148 on the Pune-Mumbai Expressway per trip; Rs.140 on the old Pune-Mumbai highway, and Rs.530 on the Atal Setu. For round trips, this amounted to around Rs.1,404 per bus per day on the expressway/highwa...