Demand for special buses grows, PMPML resumes special bus for students

The use of public transportation is expected to exponentially rise with the city opening up post-Covid-19 and colleges resuming offline classroom lectures

The use of public transportation is expected to exponentially rise with the city opening up post-Covid-19 and colleges resuming offline classroom lectures.

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In an effort to meet the rising demands, the Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited (PMPML) has now started a special bus service for PMC school students and gradually it will be starting the bus service for other students as well.

Earlier this month, students in classes 5 to 12 began attending school physically which includes both Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) and private schools.

“We have started the special students’ bus service for PMC school children as schools have now reopened for classes 5 to 12. Colleges around the city have also resumed offline lectures. Transportation of school and college students is a major part of our public bus transport service and we are going to gradually increase the buses for PMC schools. Also, there are plans to start the bus service for private schools which existed prior to the lockdown,” said Rajendra Jagtap, chairman and managing director (CMD) of PMPML.

Since schools and colleges have resumed offline classes, a large number of students are plying on the roads to travel across the city.

A majority of them do not have their own vehicle or parents are dependent on private auto-rickshaws, school vans, buses or public transport buses. So, daily a large number of school and college students are seen during the peak hours travelling by the PMPML buses.

Harish Jadhav, a class 10 student from New English School, Tilak road said, “I stay at Dhankawadi and earlier used to travel daily by a PMPML bus to school, there were special buses for students. Now, we travel by normal buses but there is a crowd during the peak morning hours, as other office going people are also there. Social distancing is not maintained that much so our demand is that special buses for students should be restarted immediately.”

While parents are worried to send their children in crowded buses, Geeta Pathare a mother of two said, “Both my son and daughter daily go to school and college by a public transport bus, it is risky but now we do not have any option to send them for attending the lecture. Already one year has gone at home and children do not comprehend online teaching properly. If more special buses for students are given by the PMPML then it would benefit thousands of students who cannot afford private auto or cab.”