Latest news with #PuneMahanagarParivahanMahamandalLimited
Hindustan Times
2 days ago
- Business
- Hindustan Times
PMPML plans 60-year PPP lease to develop depot lands
The Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited (PMPML) board of directors has forwarded a proposal to the state government's urban development department (UDD) to lease depot lands for development on public-private partnership (PPP) for 60 years instead of the earlier 30 years. Facing a mounting financial deficit despite the introduction of electric and CNG-based air-conditioned buses, the public transport utility is exploring ways to renovate its over 30 depots to enhance facilities and generate additional revenue. (REPRESENTATIVE PHOTO) Facing a mounting financial deficit despite the introduction of electric and CNG-based air-conditioned buses, the public transport utility is exploring ways to renovate its over 30 depots to enhance facilities and generate additional revenue. 'Private agency appointed to prepare a feasibility report has identified 14-15 sites that could be developed under the PPP model. Three depot plots under the jurisdiction of the Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA) have also been included in the plan,' said Pankaj Deore, chairman and managing director (CMD), PMPML, on Friday. While the proposed plan includes modern charging infrastructure, adequate parking facilities, workshops, hotels, office complexes, and hospitals at the lands, 60-year lease is expected to create steady income streams, said PMPML officials.
Indian Express
18-07-2025
- General
- Indian Express
Pankaj Deore appointed as CMD of Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Ltd
Pankaj Deore Thursday was appointed the new chairman and managing director (CMD) of the Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited (PMPML), the city's public transport utility, to replace Deepa Mudhol Munde before she could complete her tenure. Before being posted as PMPML chief, Deore was the chairman of the District Caste Validity Committee in Latur. Meanwhile, Munde has been posted as Commissioner, Social Welfare, Pune. Munde was appointed as the chief of PMPML in July 2024, but was transferred before completing the standard three-year tenure. Before Munde, Sachindra Pratap Singh was appointed as PMPML CMD, and was similarly transferred just three months after his appointment in October 2023. PMPML has been in a dire state for the past many years. The Indian Express reported in April this year that Pune needs 4,000 to 6,000 buses according to various studies, but has only 2,000 buses since at least 2021. An Institute for Transportation and Development Policy study highlighted that Pune requires 4,500 buses, while a Comprehensive Mobility Plan developed by the Maharashtra Metro Rail Corporation Limited (Maha Metro) stated that the city needs over 6,000 buses. However, the actual numbers are much lower. In April 2022, the fleet number stood at 1,959, in February 2023, at 2,083, in February 2024 at 2,009, and in February 2025 at 1,916. In addition to this change, other officers were also transferred in the city. Trigun Kulkarni was posted as the Deputy Director General of YASHADA, Satishkumar Khadake was appointed as the Chief Executive Officer of the Slum Rehabilitation Authority, Dnyaneshwar Khilari was appointed as the Additional Settlement Commissioner and Additional Director of Land Records, and Mahesh Patil was appointed as the Commissioner of the Tribal Research and Training Institute. Similarly, Manjiri Manolkar is now the Managing Director, Maharashtra State Farming Corporation, Sonali Mule is the Director (OBC) at Bahujan Welfare, and Gajendra Bawne has been posted as Commissioner, Ground Survey Development Agency.
Indian Express
11-07-2025
- Automotive
- Indian Express
‘Rush hour is now crawl hour': damaged roads in Pune's Nigdi-Akurdi, Tathawade frustrate commuters; residents seek urgent repair
Written by Riddhi Berry & Shubham Kurale Commuters plying through the service road between Nigdi and Khandoba Mal Chowk in Akurdi and on Tathawade Road have been grappling with potholes and damaged drainage chambers for over a month. Fed up with the daily ordeal, residents have demanded urgent repairs on the stretch instead of patchworks. Rohit Narayankar, a resident of Nigdi Pradhikaran, commutes daily to Shivajinagar for work. 'Since June, we have been facing this inconvenience, and it has become risky for two-wheelers to navigate around potholes that are a foot deep. Even buses are getting stuck in the damaged drainage chambers, causing the morning rush hour to turn into crawl hour,' he said. 'I have seen minor accidents happening regularly along the service road, and the patchwork done recently just saw the addition of some paving blocks, which has made the stretch even more unstable. It damages the vehicle's suspension, adding to maintenance costs, besides causing back aches and neck pain,' added Narayankar. 'There is congestion on the Tathawade service road in the morning because of the potholes. I often get late while going to work and cannot open my shop on time,' said Raju Ram Bishnoi, who owns a grocery store on Tathawade Road. 'We face a lot of problems due to damaged roads, which is why many people prefer a different route,' he said. As many prefer alternative routes, businesses on the stretch are affected. Popat Ranade, the owner of a plant nursery along the Tathawade service road, said, 'I don't get a lot of customers because the roads are bad and there is also a lot of construction work going on. If the roads were good, more people would use them and buy plants from my shop.' 'Heavy vehicles for the Metro work nearby worsen the traffic, while luxury buses from the Rudra parking area add to the snarls as they halt on the narrow road. We want development projects. We also understand that issues will happen, but with better quality of roads and management, this inconvenience can be addressed,' said Onkar Chakane, a resident of Akurdi. Several school buses as well as buses of the Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited (PMPML) frequent the narrow service road. 'It is not just the people who travel in public transport that face safety issues, many children are commuting in school buses that have to pass through the road, and serious accidents could take place,' says a resident of a housing society in the area. Speaking to The Indian Express, Ashlesh Chavan, Junior Engineer, Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC), said that the excavation work for the Pune Metro project has loosened the area below the road, 'which is causing potholes, particularly on the asphalt roads. We have done patchwork in those sections, and care has been taken that the potholes do not re-emerge.' 'People can complain about potholes on our new 'PCMC PotHole Management' app, which offers the option to geo-tag photos. Latitude and longitude data provides its exact location, and prompt action is taken to repair it,' Chavan added. On July 5, the Sumit Social Foundation, an NGO, even conducted a bell-ringing protest in front of the Bajaj Auto office in Akurdi, calling for urgent repairs on the stretch. (Riddhi Berry & Shubham Kurale are interns with The Indian Express)
Hindustan Times
18-06-2025
- Hindustan Times
Surge in Pune Metro ridership following PMPML fare hike as commuters opt for cheaper & faster travel
After the Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited (PMPML) recently raised bus fares beginning June 1, thousands of daily commuters have switched to the Pune Metro, citing affordability, speed and comfort, leading to a noticeable surge in metro ridership. According to official data, Pune Metro has recorded an 11% increase in footfalls during the first 16 days of June as compared to the first 16 days of May this year. The daily ridership has grown by an average of over 16,000 passengers, amounting to a total of over 1.13 lakh additional commuters using the Pune Metro this month. Transport experts note that the shift from buses to the metro marks a significant change in commuter preferences, particularly on routes where the difference in fares is substantial. For example, a PMPML bus ride from Pimpri to Ramwadi now costs ₹50 whereas the same journey via metro costs ₹35. Similarly, metro travel between Pimpri and Swargate is now ₹10 cheaper than that by bus. Vaishali More, a Hinjewadi-based office worker, said, 'I used to travel by PMPML buses every day but the recent fare hike has made it unaffordable. With the metro, not only is the fare lower, but the ride is faster and more comfortable. I reach work on time without the stress of traffic or overcrowded buses.' Apart from lower ticket prices, several commuters are also drawn to the metro's air-conditioned coaches, punctuality and smoother travel experience — a stark contrast to the frequent delays, congested roads, and overcrowding associated with PMPML buses. Meanwhile, PMPML officials have refuted the claim that the fare hike is the sole reason for declining bus ridership. N Garade, traffic planner at PMPML, said, 'We cannot directly link the decrease in PMPML ridership to fare hikes.' Echoing the sentiment, Hemant Sonawane, director of administration and public relations at PMPML, said, 'Metro ridership is definitely increasing, but attributing it entirely to our fare revision would be inaccurate. Factors like the onset of the monsoon and reopening of colleges are also contributing.' PMPML revised its fare structure citing mounting operational losses. The authority discontinued old passes in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad, introducing new weekly passes priced at ₹70 and ₹150. Monthly pass rates were also increased, further impacting regular passengers.
Indian Express
08-06-2025
- Business
- Indian Express
Despite hike in PMPML bus fares, commuters see no improvement in services
On June 1, the Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited (PMPML) decided to increase its fares. This, the transport body said was necessary in the face of increased cost of operations and to help it offer better services. But passengers have slammed this increase, which they said was uncalled for. Software engineering Amol Deshanpde is a regular user of the transport body and used to buy a daily pass priced at Rs 50. 'My office is in Baner and I used to take the bus from Akurdi station till Baner. However, the last mile connectivity was always an issue – thus I had to take an autorickshaw from the bus stand till I reach office. The press statement said this was done to improve services – but from personal experience I feel this would be far from being achieved,' he said. Every day, Shirish Mohite travels from Bhosari to MaNaPa (Pune Municipal Corporation) to reach his office in Deccan. Mohite, who works as an office assistant in a private office said the present fare hike is a bit too steep for comfort. 'My monthly pass costed me Rs 900 now its Rs 1,500. The buses on my route are really not first class – the seats rattle and the windows do not close. If I get the AC bus its fine- else it's a pain,' he said. Mohite says the rise in monthly fare has made him uncomfortable- but with no other options he has to make do with it. Suraj Raut, an HR professional, travels from Jamabhulwadi to Lohegaon and used to buy a daily pass of Rs 40 which has now gone up to Rs 70. 'I work for 26 days in a month, so my cost used to come to Rs 1,040, which has now increased to Rs 1,820,' he said. Raut like others have a heap of complaints against the transport body – from unclean buses to the ACs in air conditioned buses not working. 'Imagine a full bus with AC not working – it is suffocating,' he said. Raut has complaints about the frequency of buses from Lohegaon also. 'At times there is no bus for two hours – will the frequency increase after the rise in fares?' he asked. When it come the transport body, many commuters have complaints like Raut. Deshpande said PMMPL is supposed to be a feed service for the metro, but has failed. 'There is a metro every 10 minutes while the feeder service buses are not there for hours together. This completely defeats the definition of a feeder service,' he said. Deshpande who is a member of the PMP Pravasi Manch said they have asked for shorted fare hikes. 'If some one travels for just 5 km they have to pay Rs 20 – which is a steep rise,' he said. Deshpande called for robustness in the management of the transport body. Frequent break downs are also a concern, which sees many people stranded in the middle of the road. As per officials PMPML buses see breakdowns in the range of 300-600 per month. According to officials , most of these breakdowns were due to engine issues, while some were due to tyre issues. Currently PMPML operates 1,916 buses, including owned and hired buses. A recent study by the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy highlighted that Pune had only half the buses it needs, with the 4,500 buses required. Pune District Planning Committee's Comprehensive Mobility Plan (CMP) also said that the city requires over 6000 buses. On top of this, between 300-500 buses are off road on average every day. PMPML's fleet has remained constant since the last few years. In April 2022 the fleet number stood at 1959, in February 2023 at 2083, in February 2024 at 2009, and in February 2025 at 1916. To be fair the number of the buses is not the only thing that has remained constant. This was the first fare hike made by the transport body after 14 years. The problem is that the hike has not been bin proportion to increased efficiency or service. A press statement issued by PMPML post the hike said on day 1 of the hike they saw a revenue increase of Rs 55 lakh. Deepa Munde Mudhol, CMD of the transport body, said fares were hiked after a long time. Asked if this would affect passenger numbers, she said ' As of now commuters have not decreased. The statistics of the number of passengers in June and July will be analysed. Only one week has passed. No effect on passengers figures as of now.' Partha Sarathi Biwas is an Assistant Editor with The Indian Express with 10+ years of experience in reporting on Agriculture, Commodities and Developmental issues. He has been with The Indian Express since 2011 and earlier worked with DNA. Partha's report about Farmers Producer Companies (FPC) as well long pieces on various agricultural issues have been cited by various academic publications including those published by the Government of India. He is often invited as a visiting faculty to various schools of journalism to talk about development journalism and rural reporting. In his spare time Partha trains for marathons and has participated in multiple marathons and half marathons. ... Read More Soham is a Correspondent with the Indian Express in Pune. A journalism graduate, he was a fact-checker before joining the Express. Soham currently covers education and is also interested in civic issues, health, human rights, and politics. ... Read More
