Emergency Roof Hatch Blown Off Shivshahi Bus on Expressway; Passengers Stranded for Hours

Pune, 14th April 2025: A Shivshahi bus travelling from Alibaug to Pune’s Swargate experienced a mid-journey scare on Sunday evening after a section of its roof — designed as an emergency exit — was blown off by strong winds while the vehicle was on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway near Khopoli. The incident occurred around 6.20 pm. Fortunately, no injuries were reported.

The bus, which had over 40 passengers on board, had departed from Alibaug around 3.30pm. According to passengers, the issue arose while the vehicle was passing through the ghat section.

“There was a sudden, loud noise. At first, we couldn’t figure out what had happened,” said Nimish Gokhale, a passenger. “Then we noticed that a portion of the roof was missing — it had simply flown off.”

A passenger seated near the front quickly alerted the driver, who brought the bus to a halt after driving nearly half a kilometre. The conductor then ran back along the road and retrieved the dislodged roof panel, bringing it back to the vehicle.

But the ordeal didn’t end there.
Shortly after resuming the journey, the bus reportedly broke down, leaving passengers stranded by the roadside under the evening sun.
“We waited for more than an hour and a half. The driver and conductor seemed unsure of what to do, and there was no clear communication,” Gokhale said. “Everyone was just standing there in the heat, hoping for a replacement bus, but no help came.”

Eventually, the bus managed to reach Lonavala, where passengers were told they would be shifted to another vehicle for the rest of the journey to Pune. “We were originally supposed to reach Swargate by 7.30pm. The Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) needs to ensure better maintenance and accountability. Passengers shouldn’t have to go through this kind of trouble,” Gokhale added.

Responding to the incident, Dipak Ghode, Divisional Controller of MSRTC’s Raigad division — which oversees the Alibaug depot — acknowledged the issue and said corrective steps would be taken.

“The part that detached is an emergency roof window that is used when the air conditioning fails, to allow ventilation,” Ghode explained. “We have launched an inquiry and will take appropriate action against anyone found negligent.”

MSRTC has faced criticism in recent months over maintenance lapses in its long-distance services.