Pune: A 20-year-old man from Uttarakhand, allegedly drunk, stole and drove a Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited (PMPML) bus through central Pune on Saturday afternoon before police intercepted him near Gokhale Memorial Square on Gopal Krishna Gokhale Road. The incident caused panic, but no passengers were on board, and no injuries were reported.
Police said the bus had arrived at the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) terminus earlier in the day. The driver, who was reassigned to another route, left the ignition key near the steering wheel in a hurry. The youth found the bus unattended, entered it, and drove away from the PMC premises.
He drove along Jangli Maharaj Road and tried to move against the flow of traffic near Gokhale Memorial Square, where a public event was underway. Police personnel deployed in the area had already received alerts. They acted quickly, stopped the bus, and pulled the youth out before taking him into custody.
Senior Police Inspector Girish Nimbalakar of Deccan Police Station said the timely response helped avoid any harm. A case is being registered against the youth at Shivajinagar Police Station under the Motor Vehicles Act and other relevant laws.
Officials also said leaving the ignition key inside the vehicle was a serious lapse. The PMPML driver will face an internal inquiry over the negligence.
The incident has raised fresh concerns about safety at public transport depots. It also brought back memories of the 2012 Swargate tragedy, when a hijacked state transport bus caused multiple deaths and injuries. While this incident ended without casualties, questions remain about security and accountability.
