The Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Toyota Kirloskar Motor Pvt Ltd to set up 125 ‘Hirkani Kaksha’ or nursing rooms at ST bus stations across Maharashtra, offering breastfeeding mothers a safe, clean and private space to care for their children while travelling.
The agreement was signed in the presence of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. Deputy Chief Ministers Eknath Shinde and Sunetra Ajit Pawar, along with Transport Minister and MSRTC chairman Pratap Sarnaik, were also present.
The project will be funded through Toyota Kirloskar Motor’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiative. Under the agreement, prefabricated nursing rooms measuring around 3 metres by 3 metres will be installed at selected ST bus stations across the state.
The facilities will include essential furniture and fixtures, internal electrical wiring, power arrangements and electronic equipment. The rooms are intended primarily to provide nursing mothers with privacy and a hygienic environment for breastfeeding and attending to their children's needs.
125 rooms to be installed over three years
According to the MoU, the project will be implemented over three financial years. MSRTC plans to install 50 nursing rooms in 2026-27, another 50 in 2027-28 and the remaining 25 in 2028-29.
The numbers may be modified depending on Toyota Kirloskar's CSR policy, availability of space at ST bus stations and local requirements, according to the agreement.
MSRTC to provide land, utilities and maintenance
MSRTC will provide approximately 5-metre by 5-metre spaces for the units, along with electricity and water connections. The corporation will also facilitate installation and obtain the necessary government permissions.
Once the facilities are completed and handed over to MSRTC, the corporation will be responsible for their operation, security, repairs, maintenance and upkeep.
The MoU specifies that MSRTC will not make any financial contribution towards the project. The initiative will be implemented entirely through Toyota Kirloskar Motor's CSR funding.
Focus on women-friendly public transport
The initiative is aimed at making Maharashtra's state transport network more responsive to the needs of women passengers, particularly mothers travelling with infants.
Speaking about the project, Transport Minister and MSRTC chairman Pratap Sarnaik said the nursing rooms were not merely a facilities project but an effort to recognise the needs of women and provide a more passenger-centric ST system.
The initiative is expected to provide dedicated spaces for nursing mothers at ST bus stations, where passengers can attend to infants without having to seek temporary or unsuitable private spaces.
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