Pune rickshaw panchayat tunes into Sawai with meter-only charges for music lovers

Besides the autorickshaw service, the Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Ltd (PMPML), will also run a special bus service

This year, residents who visit Sawai Gandharva Bhimsen Mahotsav, will not have to feel the pinch of paying autorickshaw drivers.

The rickshaw drivers will have a special badge so that commuters can identify them easily, according to Nitin Pawar, secretary, Pune rickshaw panchayat. (Representational image) (HT/PHOTO)

Nitin Pawar, secretary, Pune rickshaw panchayat said, “Last year we received complaints that, since the event shifted to a new venue in Mukundnagar, most residents had to pay the half- return charges to autorickshaw drivers. Hence, this year, we approached the Arya Sangeet Prasarak Mandal, the organisers of the event, to see if we could help by providing drivers who would ferry passengers and charge according the meter.”

“These drivers will have a special badge and hence, commuters can identify them easily,” added Pawar.

Besides the autorickshaw service, the Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Ltd (PMPML), will also run a special bus service for the music lovers. The routes to which it will be operated are Dhayari (Maruti Mandir), Kothrud depot, Warje Malwadi and Nigadi (Bhakti – Shakti chowk). The bus service will be operated from Maharashtriya Mandal Krida Sankul, Mukundnagar which is the venue of the festival. It will be operational on all five days that is from December 11 to 15, said the organisers.

City glide app

There will be a special booth for senior citizens and women at the Sawai Gandharva where they can book an autorickshaw using an app called ‘city glide rickshaw’. All bookings will be tracked and monitored.