Pune public transport woes: Instructions ignored, breakdowns on the rise

PMPML alleges contractors do not heed to maintenance requests

The Pune mahanagar parivahan mahamandal limited (PMPML) has accused contractors of consistently trivialising instructions given by the public transport body in areas of maintenance of their buses, which has led to an increase in breakdown of buses.

Taking serious cognisance of the growing number of breakdowns, the PMPML has called a meeting of contractors and PMPML officials on Friday. (HT File Photo)

In the last four days, the number of breakdowns witnessed by PMPML reached 450, raising serious concerns about the condition in which its buses are operating. Most of these buses are owned by contractors, according to PMPML officials.

While the authorities initially blamed heavy rains and poor maintenance of these buses for the breakdowns, they have now targeted the contractors for the inconvenience caused to citizens. Taking serious cognisance of the growing number of breakdowns, the PMPML has called a meeting of contractors and PMPML officials on Friday.

Nayana Gunde, PMPML chairman and managing director, said, “In the wake of increasing bus breakdowns, a technical team of the PMPML had inspected all the buses that belonged to the contractors. Post inspection, we had specifically pointed them all the areas that needed immediate maintenance. However, the contractors did not pay heed to the instructions given by us.”

This has resulted into increasing breakdown of the buses, added Gunde.

According to Gunde, majority of the buses that broke midway belonged to the contractors. “As far as this particular series of breakdown is concerned, the percentage of PMPML buses stopping increased only by one per cent while the number of breakdown of buses owned by the contractors rose to 20 per cent.”

The basic reason for this breakdown is the poor maintenance of these buses even after the PMPML pointed out the problems, said Gunde.

The PMPML authorities have summoned all the contractors for an urgent meeting on Friday, where all the issues related to poor maintenance and buses breakdowns will be raised.

However, a senior official of the BVG group requesting anonymity refuted all the allegations made by the PMPML and instead accused PMPML of playing the blame game. BVG Company is one of the major contractors of the PMPML with a total of 110 buses.

The contractors refuted PMPML’s charge that no maintenance of buses is being carried out.

“We conduct a regular maintenance of our buses. It is wrong on the part of the PMPML to blame us in the times, when both the contractors and PMPML should unanimously work towards improving the condition of the PMPML buses,” a senior BVG official said, requesting anonymity as he was not authorised to speak to media.

Gunde stipulated of imposing rigorous fines on the contractors who do not follow the instructions by the PMPML henceforth.

According to PMPML officials, even though the number of buses with the contractors is less, still the number of buses breaking down is higher.

Number of buses owned by PMPML: 1,400

Number of buses owned by the contractors: 653

Average bus breakdown per month: 1,100

Breakdown of buses in the last four days: 450

Average bus breakdown of PMPML buses per day: 76

Average bus breakdown of buses owned by contractors: 85

Things that are checked in the inspection by the PMPML:

Engine status, Brake systems, Intelligent Transport Management System (ITMS), Tyre conditions, Mirrors and lights, Front and back bumpers, Windows.