Latest news with #PMPML
Time of India
15 hours ago
- General
- Time of India
Feeder bus services starts on Kalyaninagar-Magarpatta route
1 2 3 Pune: The Maha Metro and PMPML fulfilled a year-long demand of commuters on Friday and started feeder bus services connecting Kalyaninagar Metro station to Magarpatta and Hadapsar. The feeder bus services will run throughout the day at a 45-minute interval. The frequency, however, is likely to increase based on ridership and demand, the Maha Metro and PMPML said. The Kalyaninagar-Magarpatta feeder route was identified to ensure shortest possible distance with minimum bus stops. For over a year now, professionals working in Magarpatta raised a demand for feeder buses from Kalyaninagar, the closest metro station for them. In the absence of any alternate commute option, travellers faced fleecing by auto drivers after alighting at Kalyaninagar. Prior to the Kalyaninagar-Magarpatta route, the Maha Metro and PMPML operated feeder buses on prominent routes such as Yerawada-Ramwadi-Lohegaon airport, Vanaz-Chandni Chowk-Pashan road and Ramwadi-Kharadi IT park. Regular commuters, however, have said the overall frequency of these buses has been 'considerably low'. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like This Device Made My Power Bill Drop Overnight elecTrick - Save upto 80% on Power Bill Pre-Order Undo For instance, the buses from Yerawada station to the airport and Kharadi are plying every 40 minutes. Commuters, however, need buses at every 10-15 minutes. Sujit Patil, who works in the airport road area, said the frequency of buses should not remain at 40 minutes interval when the metro trains are running every 7 to 10 minutes. "The authorities should operate buses at least at a frequency of 10 to 15 minutes," Patil said. The PMPML said the feeder buses are introduced on around 22 routes. Some routes have been redesigned to benefit metro commuters. Gokhalenagar resident Ashish Shinde said many pockets are still out of reach of feeder services. "We want the administration to cover maximum routes. Also, PMPML should operate smaller buses for feeder routes, which will benefit commuters and reduce PMPML's expenses," Shinde said. Officials from Maha Metro said continuous efforts are underway to improve last-mile connectivity to the metro stations. The PMPML is in the process of adding more buses to the existing fleet. "We will see how more buses can be deployed on feeder routes," officials said. Box: CURRENT STATUS Feeder services at metro stations: Feeder Routes: 22 in Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad area Prominent routes: Yerawada-Ramwadi-airport - Kalyaninagar-Magarpatta-Hadapsar - Vanaz-Chandni Chowk-Pashan - Shivajinagar-Narhe Ramwadi-Kharadi IT park Major demands of commuters: - Increase frequency of buses - Deploy smaller buses on feeder routes - Cover prominent local areas MSID:: 121677131 413 | Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Eid wishes , messages , and quotes !
Time of India
2 days ago
- Time of India
Bangle worth 1.5L stolen on bus
1 2 3 Pune: A 74-year-old woman from Wadgaon Budruk lodged a complaint with the Swargate police on May 31, stating that unidentified passenger/s on a PMPML bus cut and stole her gold bangle worth Rs1.5 lakh when she boarded the crowded vehicle to Wadgaon Budruk on the evening of May 23. TNN Pune: A 74-year-old woman from Wadgaon Budruk lodged a complaint with the Swargate police on May 31, stating that unidentified passenger/s on a PMPML bus cut and stole her gold bangle worth Rs1.5 lakh when she boarded the crowded vehicle to Wadgaon Budruk on the evening of May 23. TNN
Indian Express
4 days ago
- Business
- Indian Express
Commuters raise concerns after hike in PMPML bus services
The recent fare hike by the Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Ltd (PMPML) has sparked widespread concern among daily commuters. Minimum fares for bus rides have doubled from Rs.5 to Rs.10, while the price of a daily bus pass has jumped from Rs 40 to Rs 70. The cost of a monthly pass has also surged from Rs 900 to Rs 1,500. For many, this hike has come as a shock. Vrajeysh Rokade, a 20-year-old student at DES Pune University and a daily commuter, said, 'As a student, the fare hike is quite dramatic for me. I only get a limited monthly allowance, since I am a student of films, I have to go to different parts of the city for my recordings, so this sudden increase is definitely going to affect me. Even the services aren't good. The seats are broken, and buses are so overcrowded that it's hard to even stand.' Eighteen-year-old Arya Deshmukh, a student at Modern College of Arts, Science and Commerce, echoed similar concerns. 'I stay in Chinchwad, and PMPML used to be an affordable and convenient option for long-distance travel with a daily pass. But now, it's becoming expensive for students like me,' she said. Others, like Sara Bhat from Fergusson College, expressed concern not just for themselves but for the economically disadvantaged. 'I'm privileged enough that a hike of Rs 5–10 won't affect me much. But my house help travels from Katraj to Navi Peth every day. She doesn't have the same monetary privilege. It's people like her who will be hit the hardest,' she said. An English professor who uses PMPML daily questioned the timing of the fare revision. 'Buses are often late, overcrowded, or don't show up at all. While we understand that PMPML needs funds to operate, fare hikes should follow visible service improvements. Public transport is a lifeline for many. We hope authorities act to make it more affordable and commuter-friendly,' they said. Vikrant Kadam, a hardware engineer, expressed disappointment, saying 'I travel across the entire city in a PMPML bus daily. This rise in the prices has really pinched the pockets of me and other people, especially from the lower middle class. Even after the hike, I haven't seen any betterment in the services. The buses are still late. And people still have no place to sit in the bus. I feel that it is really unfair to us passengers who travel long distances daily with a tight budget.' A Public Relations Officer from PMPML stated, 'The fare hike is a result of inflation and the rising costs of CNG, petrol, and diesel. This is the first significant price hike in 12 years. However, fare concessions for senior citizens, differently abled individuals, and school students remain unchanged.'
Time of India
5 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
PMPML snaps a May record with breakdowns; fare hike upsets many
1 2 Pune: PMPML just recorded its worst May in three years in terms of bus breakdowns, recently released data showed. Last month, the transport body recorded 1,971 breakdowns, compared to 1,673 in May 2024; 1,901 in May 2023; and 1,024 in May 2022. Essentially, there were 66 bus breakdowns every day of May this year, leaving many passengers asking why they were now being asked to pay more for a bus ride. PMPML's fare increase came into effect from June 1 — the minimum ticket is now Rs 10, up from the earlier Rs 5. The cost of daily and monthly passes has also gone up. Officials said the hike is unlikely to impact ridership. On June 1, data showed 9.45 lakh people travelled on 1,556 buses. "On Sundays, passenger traffic is much less than on weekdays. We run fewer buses. So, for now, we cannot say the fare hike led to a dip in passenger traffic," one senior PMPML official said. Lata Jori, a resident of Bhugaon, said the cost of commuting was now a major concern. Jori works as a domestic help in Kothrud. "This ticket price hike is unfair," she said, adding that those on a daily wage may now find it difficult to take PMPML buses. Sanjay Shitole, from the citizen group PMP Pravasi Manch, said they dropped a plan to meet PMPML CMD Deepa Mudhol Munde. "We believe we'll just be told that the fare hike was approved by the RTA, which is headed by the Collector. But with so many breakdowns every day, PMPML and civic bodies must ask themselves if the hike is justified. We now plan to meet the Collector to discuss this," Shitole said. Ujjwal Keskar, a former corporator, said he has written to Munde about PMPML's operational losses. "The transport body lost over Rs 706 crore in the last FY. Between 2014 and 2024, it suffered losses of Rs 3,863 crore. This money is enough to come up with a new metro line. It's the constant changes in policy and leadership that have brought us to this point. It's really concerning," he wrote in his letter to Munde. Sagar Dhande, who works as a shop assistant in Kondhwa, said he will now have to pay Rs 30 to commute from Hadapsar to his place of work. "It used to be Rs 20. The cost of the daily pass is now Rs 70, compared to the earlier Rs 40. My salary is very low so this is a huge burden for me," Dhande said. Makrand Gaikwad, another regular passenger, said: "The fare from PMC HQ to Hadapsar, which used to be Rs 25, has increased to Rs 40. Given the number of breakdowns every day, I think this is just unfair," he said.
Indian Express
29-05-2025
- Indian Express
For passenger safety, Police patrolling urged along PMPML bus routes
By Siddhi Patil In response to growing concerns over passenger safety, the Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited (PMPML) has formally requested the Pune City Police to initiate regular patrolling across major bus stations and heavily crowded routes in Pune, Pimpri-Chinchwad, and the PMRDA region. PMPML, which operates the city's public transport services, currently runs around 20,112 bus trips daily on 381 routes, catering to nearly 10 to 11 lakh commuters. Despite efforts to provide efficient, affordable, and secure transport, the organisation has been receiving numerous complaints from passengers, especially women and students, about security issues during travel. According to PMPML, passengers increasingly face theft of wallets and valuables, eve-teasing, and vandalisation of BRT stations with obscene content. These incidents, often taking place during daily operations, have led to a growing sense of insecurity among women, school children, and college students. To tackle these challenges, PMPML has appealed to the Commissioner of Police, Pune City, to deploy police personnel for regular patrolling during peak hours at key bus stands and along high-footfall routes. The following major bus stations have been flagged as requiring immediate security presence: Swargate Main Bus Station, Deccan Stand, Katraj Main Station, Market Yard, Pune Station, Hadapsar Depot, Wagholi Bus Stand, Nigdi Pradhikaran, Pimpri Ambedkar Chowk, Chinchwad, Bhosari, and several others across Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad. PMPML has listed 28 crowded bus routes where policing is essential. These include: – Swargate to Shivajinagar (Route 2) – Swargate to Pune Station (Route 5) – Katraj to Alandi (Route 29) – Hadapsar to Katraj via Mhatrawadi (Route 188) – Nigdi to PMC (Route 123) – Wagholi to Warje Malwadi (Route 98) – Shewalewadi to Katraj (Route 301) And many more extending from Bhekarainagar to NDA, and Katraj to Bhosari, Chinchwadgaon, and Kharadi These routes have been marked based on passenger volume and frequency of reported issues. The directive for enhanced security measures comes directly from the Chairman and Managing Director of PMPML, who has emphasized the need for visible and active police presence to deter criminal and anti-social behaviour, and restore a sense of safety among daily commuters.
