PUNE, Jan 1: Doing away with a fare hike and emphasing on capital works like replacing the 117 old buses with a new fleet, the Pune Municipal Transport administration's draft budget of Rs 150 crore anticipates a deficit of Rs 11.11 crore for the financial year 1999-2000.PMT general manager Prithviraj Bayas also presented the revised budget for the year 1998-99 of Rs 98.30 crore anticipating a shortfall of Rs 7.5 crore in the revenue. The budget has made the provision of Rs 11.70 crore to purchase the fleet of 117 news buses.Bayas presented the draft budget to the transport committee chairman Prakash Lodha at a meeting on Thursday, while stating that after several years, an attempt had been made to present a `realistic budget'.Due emphasis has been given to include a special provision whereby it has been made clear that as per the amendment to the Bombay Provincial Municipal Corporation Act which says that like the water supply, sewerage, and sanitation, transport is also a subsidised service. Hence, the PMT has to pay Rs 21.52 crore to the PMC while the PMT has to take Rs 32 crore from the PMC.The anticipated revenue from tarrif amounts Rs. 80.50 crore as against last year's Rs.85 crore. Bayas said the expected revenue from tarrif could not be achieved because of illegal transport of commuters by six-seater autorickshaws. Bayas admitted that the PMT's revenue had come down considerably since the six-seaters were operating from the bus stops.Bayas also attributed deficit in the budget to delay on municipal corporation's general body in approving the proposal of purchasing 50 new buses.Bayas said there was no need to hike the tarrif even after increase in the sales tax of the diesel as the new fleet of the buses would be fuel efficient, helping the transport committee to save one lakh litre diesel in the year. One of the salient features of the budget is that the PMT would revice the existing timetable to the entire city from April next year.The PMT proposes to spend Rs 56.37 crore on its employees while the other anticipated expenditure heads include Rs 21.60 crore on fuel, Rs 3.85 crore on tyres and tubes, Rs 4.24 crore on maintenance and repair of buses, Rs 3.75 crore on repayments, Rs 3.43 crore on bus lease payments, Rs 21.52 on PMC repayments.Bayas said PMT would cancel those routes, which fail to earn 33 per cent tarrif revenue of the expected income, while bringing down the number of trips, which were giving 33 to 66 per cent tarrif of the expected revenue. He added that budget would set targets of revenue to all the six depots in the city.Construction of depot and bus stand at Petit Estate, commercial complex at Hadapsar, development of Kothrud stand and Gultekdi depot are the other highlights of the budget. The budget has proposed to construct commercial complexes at Petit Estate, Narveer Tanajiwadi and Kothrud bus depot. Bayas has also proposed to set up illuminated bus shelters with the help of advertisers and donors.Bayas has announced that bus drivers, who will not cause any accident, would be encouraged by presenting medals, badges and certificates from time to time.
