PMPML to lease out buses to other civic bodies, private firms

PUBLIC BUS transport service company Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Ltd (PMPML) is planning to lease out its extra buses to other civic bodies in the state and private companies across the city. Meanwhile, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) on Friday approved Rs 366.57 crore for PMPML as its 60 per share to incur the operational loss for 2021-22 while the remaining share has to be paid by Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) even as around 500 buses provided by four contractors to PMPML went off road for few hours in the morning to protest against delay in payment of their dues by the transport body.

“The PMPML is procuring electric buses from the funds by the Centre and would be phasing out diesel and CNG-run buses. We expect that there would be around 200-250 extra buses in the PMPML fleet after the arrival of new electric buses this year. Thus, the administration is working on leasing the extra buses to other smaller civic bodies in the state,” said municipal commissioner Vikram Kumar.

PMPML Chairman and Managing Director Laxminarayan Mishra said, “I have held initial discussion with few civic bodies on leasing PMPML buses. Among those who have shown interest are municipal corporation of Solapur and Kolhapur.”

He said plans are afoot to accommodate about 500 extra staffers of the public transport company in PMC and PCMC.

The PMPML CMD said that the transport body released Rs 58 crore to the contractors providing buses to PMPML but there was a delay in transfer of money. “The protest by contractors by pulling buses off road is not accepted and legal action would be taken against them. The PMPML service was partly affected for four hours in the morning causing inconvenience to commuters,” Mishra said, adding PMPML had paid them Rs 66 crore two months ago and also pays them Rs 70 lakh per day.