PMPML fare hike: 3 top officials face commuters’ ire

“Like an obedient student, Rao signed on the dotted lines…approving the PMPML fare hike and dealing a heavy blow to commuters and Pune city as a whole,” said Jugal Rathi of the PMP Pravasi Manch, one of those who had aggressively lobbied against the fare hike. He said PMPML fooled RTA by making the latter believe that it was seeking a 20 per cent hike but actually got a hike of 33 to 67 per cent approved. “At one stage, they have got a hike from Rs 15 to Rs 25, at another Rs 15 to Rs 30,” he said.

This massive hike, feel commuter groups, will further clog Pune’s streets as more and more residents will be tempted to purchase personal vehicles. “Why should people travel by jam-packed costly public buses when they can do so at cheaper rates by installing CNGs in their cars? This fare hike will certainly turn many Puneites towards personal vehicles,” says Kishore Shirke, a resident of Pimple Gurav.

The commuter groups are now set to approach the Chief Minister’s Office, seeking Rao’s transfer as RTA head and appointment of a new RTA who would “apply his mind and ensure that private vehicles are not encouraged in Pune”.

“The only good thing Rao did was not allowing hike in the rates of monthly and yearly passes, which we appreciate. But he shouldn’t have blindly accepted whatever the PMPML administration placed before him,” said Prashant Inamdar of Pedestrians First.

Besides Rathi, other activists like Maj Gen (retd) S C Jatar, Sujit Patwardhan and Mukund Kirdat of AAP had also put up strong arguments against the fare hike, but that failed to cut an ice with the RTA which also has Regional Transport Officer Jiteendra Patil as member-secretary. They said Patil too had also been a mere spectator and “he should also be sent packing”.

Like Rao, the directors, mainly PCMC chief Rajiv Jadhav who was the acting CMD when the PMPML administration re-submitted the fare hike plan before RTA and PMC chief Kunal Kumar, are also facing commuters’ ire. A complaint against the two is also being sent to the CMO for “blindly” giving nod to the fare hike proposal.

When contacted, Kumar said the fare hike was approved unanimously by all the directors. “Besides, PMPML fares were lower than that of the MSRTC,” he said. Asked whether he knew that PMPML was seeking a massive hike, Kumar said: “I think only those fares which are on the lower side have been hiked.” However, Kumar said he was ready to hear out the deficiencies of PMPML. “If you have the facts about PMPML, come to me…we will discuss,” he said.

Rajiv Jadhav, who had promised to act in the interest of commuter groups when he took temporary charge of PMPML, seems to have disappointed the commuters. “He has been a big disappointment…he shouldn’t have allowed PMPML officials to push the fare hike plan,” said Inamdar.

Jadhav could not be contacted as his cellphone remained switched off for better part of the day. RTA Rao too did not respond either to phone calls or an SMS seeking a meeting.

APP leader Maruti Bhapkar said he would meet Parveen Pardeshi, Principal Secretary in the CMO, and lodge a complaint against Rao, Jadhav and Kumar. “They are responsible officers and have…to work in the interest of the city, its people and not in the interest of the PMPML administration. They should have scrapped the fare hike plan unanimously,” he said.

Meanwhile, new CMD Shrikar Pardeshi refused to comment on the fare hike. “The decision was taken before I took over…wouldn’t like to comment on that…” he told this paper on two-three occasions.

Officials close to Pardeshi said he would have superseded the board decision, but he did not have the powers. Also, they said, he did not want to get into any confrontation.

However, commuter groups and the AAP said they would relaunch the protest and urge Pardeshi to scrap the hike. “We will stage a protest at the PMC headquarters Wednesday against the fare hike and those who approved it,” said Mukund Kirdat of AAP.