PMPML,the citys transport undertaking,which is under fresh salvo from civic activists and citizens for frequent breakdown of buses,suffers from lack of basic infrastructure to ensure proper running of its fleet of vehicles. This,say activists,is also one of the prime reasons for buses breaking down. Activists said the shortage of PMPML depots is hindering the proper functioning of the transport undertaking. As per transport norms,there should be one depot for every 100 buses. Which means,PMPML should have 16 depots for its fleet of buses,but it has only 10 depots as of now, says Prashant Inamdar,convenor,Pedestrians First. There are standard norms for vital parameters such as number of buses for per lakh population,number of depots vis-a-vis number of buses. PMPML does not meet any of the norms. he said. PMPML has 1,500 buses,of which 1,250 are on roads. 300 buses have been taken on contract,but these buses have their own parking space. Officials said most of the depots are not sufficient to cater to 100 buses each and are also not well equipped. There are more buses coming in with no sign of any increase in depot capacity. Non-availability of professional expertise and qualified skilled manpower is also a very serious problem, said Inamdar,who has also pointed out the PMPMLs deficiencies to its management through a letter. According to officials another factor of significance is that PMPML has to carry a lot of old baggage as it has been created by the merger of two independent non-performing entities PMT and PCMT. Moreover the merger itself has not been completed fully. Even today there are pending issues regarding transfer of assets and rights from respective Municipal Corporations to PMPML. Three posts of expert directors (transport,human resources and finance) are lying vacant since the formation of company, Inamdar said. When contacted,PMPML spokesperson Deepak Pardeshi said while they have no plans to increase the number of depots,but they were in the process of recruiting drivers and conductors. We are going to recruit over 200 drivers and the figures of conductors to be recruited is being finalised, he said. This will help tide over the continous shortage that is being felt by PMPML. PMPML is also getting as many as 238 new buses,he added. On the other hand,Sunil Burse,chief engineer,PMPML,said they were making efforts to reduce the number of breakdown of buses. Newsline had reported that a record 13,000 buses had broken down in barely three months.
