PMPML’s 1st Pravasi Din gets poor response

PMPML’s first Pravasi Din was held at all its 10 depots in Pune city and Pimpri-Chinchwad on Monday. The highest number of complaints,17,was registered at Swargate bus depot. Four depots hardly saw any commuters. Bhosari,Pimpri and Market Yard depots drew a blank while the Nigdi depot had two commuters.

At the Nigdi depot,software engineer Amol Deshpande turned up just when the Pravasi Din was about to end at noon. Deshpande’s complaint was that the bus do not halt at smaller stops. “This is very inconvenient for commuters especially in the evening,” he said. Deshpande also demanded that a bus service from Nigdi to Kharadi be started. Nigdi depot manager S S Gate said,“ The PMPML is in the process of recruiting conductors. Once we do that,we will plan bus service to Kharadi.”

Almost all the commuters made similar demands of either starting a new bus service or increase the frequency of buses. Swargate depot manager Vijaysinh Pardeshi said,“Commuters are demanding more buses to Malwadi and few other places.” He said commuters also complained about the jam at Katraj Chowk that delays the buses.

Kothrud depot manager Chandrakant Varpe said,“We also received 10 complaints regarding invisible route boards,breakdown of buses and urgent repairs of the buses.” N T Wadi depot manager Satish Gavahane said they received only two complaints. “One of the complainants was a woman who said that ladies seats were mostly occupied by men. She demanded immediate action in the matter. Another complaint was regarding buses not halting at designated bus stops,” he said.

Bhosari depot manager Vikram Shitole and Pimpri depot manager Shantaram Waghere said nobody turned up to register a complaint.

PMPML joint manager Pravin Ashtikar said,”We made our efforts to reach out to commuters. It is just the beginning and I am sure commuters will come forward and register their complaints,” he said.

Convener of PMP Pravasi Manch Jugal Rathi,said,“The PMPML administration could not inform people about the Pravasi Din in an effective way. Had they even put up banners at bus stops,they would have got an overwhelming reponse.”