Aurangabad: MSRTC bus services halted after Maratha reservation protest escalation

Due to the stone pelting and arson that occurred on Friday night following the lathi-charge incident involving Maratha reservation protestors at Antarwali in Jalna, the Aurangabad division of the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) has decided to cancel bus trips on Pune, Ahmednagar, Beed, Jalna, and Paithan routes. Meanwhile, bus service on the Kannad-Sillod route has been continued temporarily.

Divisional Controller Sachin Kshirsagar stated that the daily revenue from passenger traffic in Aurangabad district is Rs 50 lakh. However, due to the suspension of bus services on the mentioned routes, a loss of 15 lakhs has been incurred in the morning itself.

According to reports up to the morning, four buses were set on fire, and three buses were pelted with stones, with the damages reported separately. One driver was assaulted, and another driver's mobile phone was broken. Some passengers, including a driver, were unable to retrieve their bags from the bus. A protest has started around 10:30 AM, and further decisions will be made after evaluating the nature of the protest and the overall situation on the routes.