PMPML restarts Kothrud-Hinjewadi bus service

Relentless demands from commuters forced the Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited (PMPML) to restart the Kothrud-Hinjewadi bus service within weeks of stopping it.

The Kothrud-Hinjewadi Phase 3 bus service was started by the transport utility in the first week of March. This bus service was meant for the IT crowd, which had long been asking for such a bus service.

The distance between Kothrud and  Hinjewadi is about 27 km and the cost of travelling per head was Rs22. The bus made 10 trips per day on that route.

However, on May 11, the transport body withdrew the services abruptly citing poor response. Talking to DNA, sources in the PMPML had stated that the earning of Rs9 per km on the route was far below the Rs30 per km  expectation of the transport body.

But immense public demand, in form of SMSes, calls and letters compelled the transport body to restart the services.  DA Pardeshi, PRO of PMPML said, “After the services were withdrawn, the commuters began to clamour for restoring the bus service. So, we have started the service once again on an experimental basis,” he said. Civic activist Jugal Rathi was critical about this volte-face by the transport body.

“The transport body does not have the commuter in mind while deciding routes. They function on their whims and fancies. It’s high time that the transport body kept the commuter in mind while deciding their routes,” he said.