655 buses on 255 routes from Monday: PMPML

The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has allowed public transport buses to run at 50 per cent capacity.

From Monday onwards, the Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited (PMPML), will have 655 buses running on 255 routes from 13 depots across Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad.

Since the lockdown restrictions began in the state in the first week of April, public buses were only transporting emergency services staff. (AFP. Representative image)

The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has allowed public transport buses to run at 50 per cent capacity.

Since the lockdown restrictions began in the state in the first week of April, public buses were only transporting emergency services staff.

Prior to that, PMPML was earning a revenue of ₹1 crore per day.

“We have already started our bus service for the common people and we are now extending our fleet from Monday to 655 buses. From June 6, initially, we started with 25 per cent of our fleet and we are slowly increasing the number as per the response from passengers. Also, there is demand to add on the routes which were running prior to the lockdown,” said Rajendra Jagtap, chairman and managing director (CMD), PMPML.

While passengers have welcomed this decision, Supriya Badegaokar, a resident of Yerawada said, “Before the lockdown I used to daily travel by bus to Swargate for work. Now this bus route and frequency needs to be increased by PMPML.”