As PMPML misses app launch deadlines, Pune NGO launches AppKaraBusKara campaign

“The bus app prototype will include bus stops such as MaNaPa, Swargate, Deccan bus stop, Kondhwa, Kothrud, and Bibwewadi, with Pune station and Shivaji Nagar as destination stops. Users will be presented with a list of bus numbers, plying to those selected destinations, along with their respective arrival times. Upon selecting a bus number, a map will display the route, bus stops, distance, estimated travel time, fare, and live location,” said Tanzeel Allapur, project leader of Parisar.

She said that Parisar, along with commuters, attended the Pravasi Diwas at Swargate depot on February 23 and called for the need for the app for public convenience.

“We have been having constant conversations with the PMPML regarding the need for the app, but the demands remain unheeded over the years,” she added.

Passed deadlines

Six months ago, PMPML officials told The Indian Express about their ongoing agreement with Google to roll out the app, branding it as a Diwali gift for Pune.

The then Chairman of PMPML had said that people can locate their buses on Google Maps through an Intelligent Transit Management System (ITMS).

The ITMS was first introduced in mid-2017 with the support of a Japanese company. However, it was halted in 2019 after the company alleged a delay in payment from the PMPML side. It was said that the relaunching of the ITMS system will help passengers know the real-time location of their buses. At that time, Vijay Ranjane, Traffic Planning Officer, cited technical challenges since 2022 as the reason for the delay but assured that the app would be introduced by November.
A PMPML official said that the app currently in use, is receiving additional suggestions for the improvement.

“Following the suggestions, the app will go further to the government for approval and then to the third party for auditing. The app will be launched within the next one or two months,” said an official.