Resolve issues before hiking fare: Commuters tell Pune transport utility
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Pune: The city transport body is facing backlash from commuters over its decision to restructure and increase its bus fare from June 1.
Passengers said Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited (PMPML) has failed to provide basic services and address issues such as buses not arriving on time and frequent breakdowns.
As per the new structure, the minimum fare has been doubled from Rs5 to Rs10.
The daily and monthly passes, which earlier cost Rs40 and Rs900, respectively, are now priced at Rs70 and Rs1500.
"The revision of ticket pricing now aligns with kilometre-based stages to simplify fare calculations and operations," Kishore Chauhan, the public relations officer with the transport body, told TOI.
At present, PMPML has a fleet of around 2,100 buses.
Regular commuters said the fare hike is a burden without any benefits.
Rahul Atmaram Mane, a resident of Camp, said, "If losses are a justification for PMPML to hike fares, they are on the wrong track. Almost all public transportation bodies in the world operate on losses. PMPML has been unable to provide a safe and comfortable service in the past several years. If there are little to no facilities, why are they increasing the fares in the guise of restructuring?" the working professional, who often commutes by bus, said.
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Another commuter, Sheetal Balaji Sutar, said, "Basic issues like the timing of buses, cleanliness, rampant breakdowns, lack of bus shelters, etc., remain the same even after many years. Can the PMPML guarantee that all this will improve once the fare hike comes into play? Can they give it to commuters in writing?"
A PMPML official said the fare hike was needed.
"The transport body suffered an operational loss of Rs734 crore in 2023-24.
The same increased three times since 2017-18. In 2017-18, the total operational loss stood at Rs204 crore. Also, the last time the PMPML saw a fare hike was back in 2014. In 2022, we proposed to hike the fare, but the board rejected the increase. The costs of diesel and CNG have increased, and so have the costs of the buses which we get from the manufacturers.
People should support us in this," the official told TOI.
The daily operational fleet is between 1,400 and 1,500 buses.
The transport body needs at least 2,500 more buses, but the procurement process has been slow.
Of the total 400 new CNG buses that were set to join the fleet by this month, only 192 have arrived so far. Also, PMPML has been awaiting new 160 e-buses for the last few months.
Abhay Das, a Kharadi resident who shifted to travelling by his car, said, "Earlier I used to travel by bus two to three times a week, but now I have stopped taking the bus.
It is not worth it. The fare hike does not make sense if facilities are not being provided."
PMPML's daily average income is around Rs1.5 crore. Around 11 to 12 lakh passengers use the service each day.
"We have lost customers. Earlier, we used to cater to around 13 lakh passengers daily. The fact is that we need more buses to cater to the passengers," another PMPML official said on the condition of anonymity.
Last week, Aam Aadmi Party staged a protest against the fare hike at Swargate.
Mukul Kirdat, state spokesperson of AAP, called the fare hike anti-commuter. He said the price increase puts a heavy financial burden on people with low-income groups.
PMP Pravasi Manch's senior member Sanjay Shitole called the rise illegal. "We are writing a letter to the district collector, who is the head of the regional transport authority (RTA), asking him to intervene. PMPML's performance has worsened, and each day they are cancelling many trips. This is affecting more than 30,000 passengers. The hike will be a major burden on many people," Shitole told TOI.
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