Bus operators seekpermanent solution

PUNE, June 22: The Pune Bus Owners, Agents, Operators Association has demanded a permanent solution to the parking of private tourist buses ...

PUNE, June 22: The Pune Bus Owners, Agents, Operators Association has demanded a permanent solution to the parking of private tourist buses within the Pune municipal limits in wake of the civic administration8217;s latest proposal to impose a total ban on random parking of these vehicles on city roads.

Association president Baba Shinde told media persons that the civic administration should provide such spaces, which it finds suitable from the point of view of traffic movement and public convenience, for parking of the buses, besides, certain spots for picking up and alighting passengers within the city limits.

Shinde said he failed to see any reason behind the indifference of the civic authorities to providing parking facility to the bus operators on 8220;pay-n-park8221; basis, since parking-cum-pickup spots were allotted to private taxis and autorickshaws at several congested parts including the railway stations and state transport bus termini within the city.

The Association for past several years has been pleading both the municipal administration and elected body to provide municipal lands as parking spaces at certain spots like Petit Estate and in the close vicinity of Naidu Hospital, Kumbharwada and Laxmi Narayan Theatre. A few spots needed to be earmarked close to Pune Railway Station, State Transport bus termini at Swargate and Shivajinagar for picking up and alighting passengers according to Shinde.

Seeking to differ with the civic administration on the number of private tourist buses operating from Pune, Shinde saidthere were about 250 such buses and not over 3,000 as claimed by the municipal authorities. But he admitted that the parking of these buses was causing traffic congestion in many parts of the city. He recalled the issue was being discussed with civic authorities and elected members in the past. Former mayor Vandana Chavan during her tenure had assured the Association of alloting land but nothing materialised.

Meanwhile, anticipating imposition of the total ban by next month, a majority of the bus owners had begun hunting for privately-owned open spaces for parking purposes, Shinde said.