Mumbai, Feb 19 (IANS) The travel time between Mumbai-Pune is expected to reduce by an hour with a new public bus service being launched via the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link from Tuesday, officials said here.

The Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) will unveil a new state transport route of its prestigious Shivneri Volvo and e-Shivneri buses from the MTHL, or Atal Setu from February 20 on an experimental basis.

The MSRTC will operate two new routes -- from Pune Station to Mantralaya (Nariman Point) at 6.30 a.m. and another from Swargate (Pune) to Dadar at 7 a.m., which will be run via the MTHL.

The return journey will commence on the same route at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., and there will be a saving of around one hour both ways, benefitting the people of the state capital and the state's cultural- academic and IT capital, around 155 kms away.

The MSRTC Divisional Commissioner Kailash Patil informed that there will be no change in the ticket fares, and urged the people commuting between the two cities to take advantage of the new routes with advance bookings on its site or app.

Presently, the ST buses take over five-six hours, depending on the traffic density en route in both directions to cover the distance between Mumbai-Pune.

However, this is expected to be slashed to about four hours in each direction, through the new route on the MTH, India's longest sea bridge, inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on January 12.