PMPML urges police, PMC to avoid frequent bus diversions on key routes

The public transport body has said that its buses are often diverted from busy routes such as Shivaji road and Bajirao road, especially over weekends, affecting connectivity across the city.

Pune:

Pune, India - Dec. 3, 2022: PMPML bus stops on road causes traffic chaos at Katraj junction (Nadeem Inamdar story) in Pune, India, on Saturday, December 3, 2022. (Photo by Ravindra Joshi/HT k PHOTO)

The Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited (PMPML) has written to the traffic police and the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), urging them to avoid frequent diversion of buses from busy routes such as Shivaji road and Bajirao road.

The public transport body has said that its buses are often diverted from these key routes, especially over weekends, affecting connectivity across the city. In a letter sent on Monday, the PMPML highlighted that both roads are critical corridors used by multiple routes to link different parts of Pune. “Many times, buses are diverted from routes such as Shivaji road and Bajirao road. These routes are important as several buses pass through them to connect with other parts of the city,” the PMPML stated in the letter. Officials said that the diversions cause inconvenience to a large number of commuters, including students and office-goers, as buses are rerouted through unfamiliar or longer stretches.

PMPML in-charge Prithviraj B P said, “We have requested the police not to divert buses from these two main routes. At the same time, the PMPML is planning to deploy mini buses on these stretches instead of larger buses.”

The transport body added that it plans to increase the number of mini buses operating in the internal parts of the city and has sought cooperation from the traffic police to ensure uninterrupted movement on these key arterial roads.