The Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Ltd (PMPML) has initiated a new programme to provide training for its bus drivers to operate electric buses seamlessly.
The move was prompted by a strike involving contractual drivers under a private bus contractor in August 2023. To safeguard PMPML's bus services against such disruptions in the future and to ensure passengers continue to receive uninterrupted service, Chairman and Managing Director Sachindra Pratap Singh (IAS) has taken a significant step by implementing training for drivers to operate electric buses, announced PMPML through its official X (formerly Twitter) handle.
The statement further provided details about PMPML's fleet, which consists of a total of 2,089 buses. Among these, 991 buses are owned directly by PMPML, while the remaining 1,098 buses are under the ownership of contractors. This contractor-provided category includes 640 CNG buses and 458 electric buses. As part of the training initiative, which commenced on August 26, a total of 484 drivers from PMPML received training for operating electric buses. This group includes 272 permanent drivers and 212 daily contractual drivers, as mentioned by PMPML.
