The Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited (PMPML) continues to be in the limelight for its annual loss, poor shelters, old buses and subpar facilities.
The transport body is going through a massive financial loss, reportedly crossing Rs 700 crore annually. Along with this, the commuters are questioning the quality of services offered by PMPML, pointing out fewer buses and a severe lack of bus shelters, especially during the monsoon season.
Currently, PMPML operates 1,758 buses on the road, including PMPML-owned and leased buses in Pune city, PCMC and the PMRDA area, which is too few for as per the population of the city.
The transport body has only 1,650 bus shelters at a staggering 4,500 bus stops, leaving lakhs of daily commuters vulnerable to harsh weather conditions in summer and rainy seasons.
According to officials, the city requires over 8,000 shelters to adequately meet commuter needs.
“I take the PMPML bus daily from Pimple Gurav to Deccan. Since the monsoon started, I’ve had to wait in the rain every day because there's no shelter at our stop. They have increased the fare, but there is no improvement in facilities,” said Rupali Patil, a daily commuter.
Akshay Ghadge, a college student from Katraj, highlighted, "The buses are fewer and often overcrowded. Sometimes I wait for 25-30 minutes just to get a bus. For students, time is precious. We have read many times that the buses will be equipped with CCTV cameras. However, it has not been done so far. Chain snatching cases and mobile theft have become common at bus stations."
Meanwhile, speaking to The Free Press Journal, PMPML's Joint Managing Director Nitin Narvekar said, “Before June 2024, PMPML’s daily earnings were Rs 1.3 crore per day. After the fare hike in July, it has gone up to Rs 2.3 crore per day.” However, this increased income is not enough to cover the growing operational and maintenance costs."
An estimated 8,215 staff members, including drivers, conductors, and technical staff, work with PMPML. While the workforce is essential, insiders admit that a large part of the loss comes from high maintenance costs, fuel expenses, and underutilised buses due to low footfall. The loss could be reduced by increasing the buses, leading to more footfall.
When asked about the facilities for passengers, Narvekar said, "From the past, many facilities have been added like live tracking system, CCTV cameras in buses, an app for tickets and complaints, and dedicated buses for women, etc."
The construction cost of bus shelters at many places, which are far from the city, is high in comparison to earnings and the number of footfall, leading to a delay in its installation of new shelters. Currently, PMPML is in a loss of around 700 crore per year. This could be only neutralised by increasing the fleets and footfall," he added.
