PMPML planning to shut down loss-making routes

The PMPML (Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited) plans to shut down its loss-making routes mainly operational in semi-urban and rural areas, as indicated by newly-appointed PMPML chairman and managing director (CMD), Omprakash Bakoria

The PMPML (Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited) plans to shut down its loss-making routes mainly operational in semi-urban and rural areas, as indicated by newly-appointed PMPML chairman and managing director (CMD), Omprakash Bakoria.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, PMPML had started bus services in semi-urban and rural areas. (HT FILE PHOTO)

“Our first target is to bring down the losses of public transport. At the same time, we want to provide efficient public transport for commuters. There are many routes that are providing service in the PMRDA region, mainly in semi-urban areas. We will review them and shut down the loss-making routes,” Bakoria said.

As the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) had shut down state transport buses during the Covid-19 pandemic, the PMPML had started bus services in semi-urban and rural areas. There was also a lot of pressure on the PMPML from rural political leaders to start bus services in their jurisdictions. While the people in rural areas started favouring the PMPML buses as they were cheaper than the MSRTC buses. Recently however, some of the elected members from Pune objected to these PMPML services in rural areas saying that they were proving to be a financial burden with the PMPML’s annual losses having reached almost Rs700 crore. Civic activists too questioned as to why the PMPML – which is mainly for urban transport in the Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad corporation areas – was providing services in rural areas when there were less PMPML buses in the city, that too during peak hours.

Satish Ursal, a regular PMPML commuter, said, “I travel daily by PMPML buses. It is tough to enter these buses in the morning and evening. Why is PMPML assigning buses to rural areas instead of in the city?”

Prior to being appointed CMD of PMPML, Bakoria was a sports director in Pune. He also worked as additional municipal commissioner in the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) and was given additional charge of the PMPML for a while. His decision to shut down routes in rural and semi-urban areas is likely to face opposition from the politicians in rural areas.

An office-bearer of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on condition of anonymity said, “It’s a good decision to shut the long routes which are making losses. Why should Pune’s taxpayers bear the burden of losses in rural areas. The losses have reached almost Rs700 crore. The MSRTC is providing services in rural areas. Meanwhile, there are less PMPML buses available to Punekars as the buses are being assigned to rural areas.”