The Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Ltd (PMPML) administration has decided to scrap 350 buses this year in a phase-wise manner. The number of buses will decrease following the decision. However, authorities have assured that new buses will be purchased.
According to the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC)'s official plan, more than 3,500 buses are needed to service the city's population. However, PMPML currently has only 1,800 buses, which is not sufficient for passenger needs.
Speaking to The Free Press Journal, Nitin Narvekar, Joint Managing Director, PMPML, expressed, "The decision has been taken for the convenience of the passengers. We are planning to add 1,600 to 1,700 new buses to the PMPML fleet. Some of these buses will be leased while others will be self-owned."
"We have planned to scrap 350 buses due to the completion of their tenure. However, we have planned to purchase new buses so that passengers will not face any inconvenience," he added.
Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar has announced that the government will provide ₹500 crore for the purchase of 1,000 new CNG buses. ₹250 crore will be provided by Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA), ₹150 crore by PMC, and ₹100 crore by Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC).
Bus routes: 381
Scheduled rounds: 20,112
Daily commuters: Around 13 lakh
Aapli PMPML app downloads: More than 6 lakh
Daily revenue generation through the app: ₹20 lakh
