Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited earns Rs 14.22 lakh in fines

PMPML collected Rs 12,81,250 in fines from its contractors and Rs1,40, 750 fines from its employees. On most occasions it has issued notices to its employees instead of fining them

Frequent breakdowns, broken windowpanes and misbehaviour of drivers have often caused the Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited (PMPML) commuters inconvenience while travelling on public transport buses.

One of the most common complaints is breakdown of PMPML buses. (HT FILE PHOTO)

However, the complaints have helped PMPML generate Rs 14,22,000 lakh through the grievances redressal mechanism in 2017 and 2018, according to the information revealed through a Right To Information (RTI) query filed by Rupesh Keskar, an RTI activist.

Most common complaints among them were of breakdown of buses, broken glass windows, broken seats, the absence of fire extinguishers and first aid boxes and misbehaviour of bus drivers and conductors.

Interestingly, while PMPML is prompt is penalising the contractors, the public transport body has been lax is acting in the same way against its own employees. According to information received under RTI, while PMPML collected Rs 12,81,250 fine from its contractors, on most occasions it has issued notices to its employees instead of fining them. PMPML authority charged Rs 1,40,750, as a fine to its own employees while redressing grievances.

Keskar said, ”Though PMPML is collecting heavy fines from contractors, at the same time, they are just issuing notices to their own employees and not fining them.”

Also, the number of complaints registered with PMPML office has increased. In 2017, the PMPML registered 4,946 complaints and in 2018, 20,846 complaints were registered. Most of the complaints were registered through telephone, followed by Whatsapp and SMS.

Keskar said, “There is a pending demand to make PMPML complaint number toll free, which is now charged according to normal call charges. While the PMPML has refused the proposal citing an increase in expenses. Also, this RTI clearly shows that PMPML is earning enough money from grievances redressal mechanism by charging fine to contractors, but why are they not making the complaint number free of charge for the common people.”

Meanwhile, Nayana Gunde, chief managing director, PMPML said, “I am unaware about the issue and will go through the data and only then comment on the same.”