3 min readPuneApr 14, 2025 12:45 AM IST
First published on: Apr 14, 2025 at 12:45 AM IST
Carrying over 10 lakh passengers every day, Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Ltd (PMPML) is the lifeline of Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad. Currently operating 1,916 buses (February 2025) in the twin cities, the bus service provides connectivity in the urban areas and far reaches like Alandi, Talegaon Dabhade, Jejuri MIDC, and others.
However, the bus service has struggled with increasing its bus fleet. A recent study by the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy highlighted that Pune had only half the buses it needed, with 4,500 buses being required. Pune District Planning Committee’s Comprehensive Mobility Plan (CMP) also said that the city requires over 6,000 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 1,959, in February 2023 at 2,083, in February 2024 at 2,009, and in February 2025 at 1,916. Last month, PMPML said it was in the process of inducting 400 CNG buses while 200 more would arrive in June. However, due to older buses being retired, the total fleet will remain around 2,000-2,200 in 2025, PMPML joint managing director Nitin Narvekar told The Indian Express.
When asked about when the city can expect a substantial increase in the number of buses, Narvekar said, “We have placed an order of 1,000 electric buses with the central government, after they arrive we will have 3,000 buses.” Narvekar however could not provide a timeline for procurement of these buses and said that the allotment schedule is decided by the central government.
Bus breakdowns in a month
PMPML buses see breakdowns in the range of 300-600 per month. According to Narvekar, most of these breakdowns were due to engine issues, while some were due to tyre issues. He said, “We are in the process of monitoring the health of the buses at the central workshop. We aim to bring the breakdown to less than 50% of what they are right now.”
PMPML app
The PMPML mobile app released in August last year has seen a steady rise in the number of tickets booked and revenue generated in the previous few months. According to data provided to The Indian Express by PMPML, only 8,37,919 tickets were booked in the month of September 2024 on the app. However, this number had increased to 23,13,117 by March 2025. Similarly in September 2024, 3,86,141 passes were issued on the app while 6,02,809 passes were issued in March. Rs 2,97,68,633 was collected as revenue in September 2024 through the app while Rs 5,95,94,817 was collected in March 2025.
PMPML’s fleet has remained constant since the last few years (archive) 
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