Pune residents, NGOs driving a plan to oppose PMPML bus fare hike

Nearly 10 prominent organisations including NCP and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) extended their support to the PMP Pravasi Manch during its public meeting on Saturday at Indradhansh Hall, Dattawadi.

Various citizens groups, political parties and NGOs have opposed the fare hike of the daily and monthly bus passes by the Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited (PMPML) from Rs 50 to Rs 70 and have decided to undertake a signature campaign in the city for the next 15 days.

Maj Gen (Rtd) Sudhir Jathar signs in support of PMP Pravasi Manch’s campaign against PMPML bus pass fare hike. (RAVINDRA JOSHI/HTPHOTO)

Nearly 10 prominent organisations including NCP and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) extended their support to the PMP Pravasi Manch during its public meeting on Saturday at Indradhansh Hall, Dattawadi.

Citizen-activist and one of the conveners of the meeting, Vivek Velenkar, said that the PMPML described the fare hike as “illegal” and said it was not justified. “The PMPML administration is not in a mood to listen to the citizen’s voice,” he said.

The PMP Pravasi Manch has written several letters to Tukaram Mundhe, CMD of PMPML, but it had failed to get any response. The PMP Pravasi Manch and ten other NGOs from Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad then organised a ‘Pravasi Melawa’ (gathering of PMPML commuters) to protest against the fare hike.