With polls on horizon, Pune city corporators want 40 new PMPML bus routes started

Though corporators are demanding bus services in their areas, we have formed a committee that will conduct a survey and study the feasibility of routes. After that, we will make a decision, says PMPML managing director

With the civic polls on the horizon, late 2021 or early 2022, corporators have begun to demand that the Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited (PMPML), the city’s public transport body, start new bus routes in the city.

On October 25, PMPML started its Atal (aligning transit on all lanes) bus service, based on the concept of a distance of five km being travelled at a five-minute frequency for a ticket of ₹5.Nine new Atal routes were started in the Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad area. (Rahul Raut/HT PHOTO)

As many as 40 new bus routes are on the demand list.

On October 25, PMPML started its Atal (aligning transit on all lanes) bus service, based on the concept of a distance of five km being travelled at a five-minute frequency for a ticket of ₹5.Nine new Atal routes were started in the Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad area.

Rajendra Jagtap, managing director of PMPML, said, “Though corporators are demanding bus services in their areas, we have formed a committee that will conduct a survey and study the feasibility of routes. After that, we will make a decision.”

He added, “After lockdown, PMPML rationalised routes and rerouted the non-profitable ones. We increased routes in the fringe areas like Shirur, Sus, Talegaon, Wagholi, Phursungi, Yawat, Chakan, Shikrapur, and Lavale. Besides that, we have the Atal bus routes.”

Dattatray Zende, traffic manager of PMPML, said, “Corporators have been demanding new routes for the last two-three months. However, we cannot start a service merely on the demand of corporators. We calculate distance, demand of public, population, and road infrastructure. We need two months to conduct surveys and then, 15 days to start a new route.”

Shankar Pawar, a PMPML director and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) corporator said, “Corporator Manjusha Nagpure and Anil Dhawade started routes in their areas. We have appealed to corporators to file applications to start new bus routes in their areas.”

Dilip Vede-Patil, the BJP corporator from Kothrud, said, “We had suggested two circular routes in Kothrud which began last week. These new routes will help us to connect people. Most of the routes are passing through societies and are getting a good response.”