E-Paper
PMPML fines private contractors ₹13.48 crore for trip cancellations & bus breakdowns
According to the PMPML official records, a total of 17,991 bus breakdowns occurred during the financial year 2024–2025, resulting in penalties of ₹2.91 crore
Due to cancellation of over 40,000 scheduled bus trips and more than 17,000 instances of breakdown having inconvenienced passengers from Pune, Pimpri-Chinchwad, and the Pune Metropolitan Region (PMR) in the financial year 2024-25 and most of these buses being contractor-operated, the Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited (PMPML) has levied penalties totalling ₹13.48 crore on various private contractors operating its buses.
According to the PMPML official records, a total of 17,991 bus breakdowns occurred during the financial year 2024–2025, resulting in penalties of ₹2.91 crore. Among the contractor-operated buses, those operated by Olectra Greentech Ltd. reported the highest number of breakdowns (5,681) followed by those operated by Hansa Vahan India Pvt. Ltd. (4,523). Olectra was fined ₹86.14 lakh whereas Hansa Vahan India Pvt. Ltd. attracted a penalty of ₹81.76 lakh.
Trip cancellations were the other major concern. A total of 40,270 bus trips were cancelled during the same period and the PMPML imposed ₹10.96 crore in penalties for these disruptions. Buses operated by Hansa Trans India Pvt. Ltd. reported the highest number of trip cancellations (16,000) followed by those operated by Olectra Greentech Ltd. (7,900). Hansa Trans India Pvt. Ltd. was fined ₹2.09 crore.
While fines were imposed, the brunt of service disruptions had to be borne by commuters, many of whom rely solely on PMPML services for their daily transportation needs. Last-minute cancellations and mid-route breakdowns led to delays, overcrowding and commuter dissatisfaction.
A senior PMPML official said, “We have taken serious note of the rising cancellations and breakdowns in contractor-operated buses. These issues compromise the reliability of our service and negatively impact the daily lives of our passengers. While we have penalised contractors to the tune of over ₹13 crore in the last year, we are also in the process of tightening performance clauses in future contracts. Our goal is to ensure stricter accountability, and we are closely monitoring repeat offenders. Ultimately, passenger convenience is our top priority.”
The PMPML has engaged several private contractors to operate its buses in an effort to expand its fleet. Of the total 1,700 buses running daily, around 1,050 are operated by contractors while 650 belong to the PMPML itself. However, most routes and depots are dominated by contractor-operated buses that are increasingly plagued by operational issues, frequent trip cancellations and mechanical breakdowns causing significant inconvenience to daily commuters.
