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PMPML to add 1,340 buses to its fleet in order to ease Pune’s transport woes
PMC approves ₹116.17 crore for purchasing 400 CNG buses in general body meeting
The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has approved ₹116.17 crore for purchasing 400 compressed natural gas (CNG) buses to improve the public transport of the city. The decision was taken in the general body meeting on Wednesday. Saurabh Rao, municipal commissioner said that PMC and Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) are planning to add 1,340 new buses to its fleet in the next year.
Meanwhile, the Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited (PMPML) board has decided to include to its fleet a total of 840 CNG buses of which 400 will be purchased, while 440 buses will be hired on rent from contractors.
Officials said both Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporations (PCMC) will be helping the PMPML to procure these 400 non-AC CNG buses and funds will be released in a phase-wise manner to the public transport body.
Meanwhile, the opposition parties had raised various objections while approving these funds. The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) member and party city unit chief Chetan Tupe along with opposition leader Dilip Barate said that the PMPML did not properly plan the process of procuring the buses. “PMC is helping the transport body but still the losses are increasing day-by-day. Even the commuters are not getting a good public transport service,” said Tupe.
While the ruling party members backed the PMPML’s proposal and said it is necessary to procure the buses urgently to keep its fleet upgrade.
The leader of house Shrinath Bhimale said that it is the commitment of the PMC to provide good bus service to the residents of the city. If the new buses are added in the fleet of PMPML, it will help to provide better service for the commuters.
