PMPML sees alarming drop in number of users

The Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited (PMPML) has lost 198 passengers per day per bus in a span of eight months.  As many as 955 passengers used the services of the transport body per day per bus in August 2012. However, the number came down to 757 passengers in April 2013. This information was revealed under the Right to Information Act, 2005, sought by activist Jugal Rathi.

Now, the PMPML plans to buy 600 new buses to provide better service to the passengers, however, the activists feel that this is not enough and it is imperative for the PMPML management to pull up its socks to increase the number of users.

According to them, fare hikes, lack of maintenance and frequency are the major factors responsible for the drop in the number of passengers.

“The three things PMPML should work on to increase the number of users are fare prices, quality of buses, and make the service more more efficient and reliable,” he said. Rathi added, “There must be assured frequency of buses and PMPML should have good fleet management during peak hours in the mornings and evenings. Roll back in the fare hike will also help.”

Pravin Ashtikar, joint managing director of PMPML, said, “Our primary focus is to improve the frequency to ensure that we have good connectivity. We are working towards improving the service. Once we add more buses to the fleet, the issue of frequency will be addressed.”

Duty of transport body staff increased by 2 hrs

Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) chief Shrikar Pardeshi, who has taken charge as the acting chairman and managing director of the Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal (PMPML) has asked the transport body staffers to work for eight hours as the company is facing financial crunch.
He has also initiated steps to bring 80 per cent of the PMPML fleet on the road in the next 15 days.

The administrative staff of the transport body works from 11 am to 5 pm. However, now they have been asked to work from 10 am to 6 pm.

“Going by the present crisis, the previous working hours are not acceptable,” said Pardeshi.

According to him, currently, only 67 per cent of the buses are functional on the road, while 33 per cent are in the depot for maintenance work. However, this is against the norms of the Central Institute of Road Transport (CIRT). According to the norms, only 20 per cent of the buses are allowed to be off road for maintenance work.

“Most of the buses are off road as there is short supply of spare parts from Tata and Ashok Leyland, They have stopped their supply as their payments have not been released by the transport body,” he said.

He has assured the companies that they will get their payments within a month and thereby they have agreed to supply the spare parts.