Post fire incident on Jan 30 PMPML constitutes committee to introspect bus fire incidents

PMPML has constituted a 12 member committee that will introspect these incidents and also conduct a monthly audit of the buses

A day after Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited (PMPML) bus was gutted at Warje while carrying 35 passengers, the public transport body has formed a committee to carry out fire audit of buses.

PMPML bus was gutted in fire on service road at Waraje in Pune on January 30. (HT PHOTO)

Alarmed by the third such incident this year and other six fire incidents in 2018, PMPML has constituted a 12 member committee that will introspect these incidents and also conduct a monthly audit of the buses.

Subhash Gaikwad, official spokesperson of PMPML said, “The department has constituted a 12 member committee which will have representatives from PMPML, Tata Motors, Regional Transport Office (RTO), Ashok Leyland, Anthony Garages Private Limited, Mahalaxmi Automotive and fire audit consultants.”

According to Gaikwad, the 12 member committee, it the first week of every month will be conducting an audit of the PMPML buses and submit it to the department suggesting the necessary steps to be taken in regards to the maintenance of the buses to avoid fire catching incidents in the future.

The first meeting of the committee is will happen on February 22. PMPML has also decided to give specific training of using fire extinguishers to all the employees of PMPML working in all its depots at the earliest.

PMPML currently owns 1,450 buses in its fleet with the public transport body plans to increase the number up to 2,450 in coming two years.

Also, last year, the PMPML had conducted a special drive to assess the condition of buses and found that there are 12 common technical problems plaguing the fleet which the committee will submit in a report to the senior management of the department.