Pune: 41,858 PMPML Bus Breakdowns In 2 Years; Contractor Fleet Accounts For Majority

Despite multiple measures taken to reduce bus breakdowns, the Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited (PMPML) continues to struggle across the city. PMPML recorded 41,858 breakdowns in the last two years till November. In November alone, 1,585 buses broke down in different parts of Pune, Pimpri-Chinchwad and PMRDA limits, severely affecting lakhs of daily commuters.

Meanwhile, officials said the majority of these breakdowns were reported from contractor-operated buses, raising serious questions over their maintenance.

PMPML operates around 1,700 buses, including those operated by private contractors. These buses carry nearly 10 lakh passengers every day. However, sudden mid-route breakdowns have become a major inconvenience for the travelling public. After taking charge, PMPML Chairman Pankaj Deore had directed department heads to take strict measures to curb breakdowns, including surprise inspections at workshops and on-ground checks of buses.

Meetings were also held with contractors, instructing them to maintain their buses properly and ensure they do not stall on the road. But the November figures indicate that these efforts have not yielded significant improvements.

According to PMPML data, 474 breakdowns involved PMPML-owned buses, whereas 1,094 breakdowns were recorded in contractor-operated buses -- more than double. On several days, daily breakdowns crossed 60 incidents, leading to the cancellation of more than 1,000 scheduled trips.

Kishore Chavan, PRO of PMPML, speaking to The Free Press Journal, said fines and penalties are imposed on contractors after each breakdown. "As per the contract, service providers are required to ensure the timely and reliable deployment of buses on assigned routes. However, repeated breakdowns of contractor buses cause a reduction in the number of operational buses on the route, leading to longer waiting times, overcrowding and inconvenience to passengers," he added.