Hike in bus pass rates irks daily commuters

Hike in bus pass rates irks daily commuters

Pune: As the Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Ltd (PMPML) has increased the rate of the monthly pass of all commuters including senior citizens, students and general passengers, the city activists claim that the decision taken by the authority is anti-commuter.

The PMPML administration has decided to increase the monthly pass rate by 17 per cent, hike the fine for ticketless travel by Rs 200 and scrap the weekly pass plan. “There is something wrong with PMPML. It has been continuously taking anti-commuter decisions,” said Jugal Rathi, city activist and head of the PMP Pravasi Manch, a commuters’ organisation. However, PMPML Chief Tukaram Mundhe said all the decisions ‘were taken in the interest of commuters and the PMPML’.

Rathi pointed out that the organisation had earlier supported the efforts being made by the PMPML chief to ensure discipline in the transport body’s functioning. However, Rathi said the decision of increasing the daily pass rate from Rs 50 to 70 would only discourage commuters from using PMPML buses and force them to take private vehicles.

“As per my information, 35,000 commuters were using daily passes before the hike. After the hike, the number of daily pass commuters has reduced to 15,000,” he said.

Rathi claimed the three decisions announced by Mundhe on Wednesday would also hit the commuters hard.

“Why has the PMPML increased the monthly pass rate from Rs 1,200 to Rs 1,400? In fact, the rate should have been reduced so that more and more commuters can use PMPML. If using PMPML buses becomes costlier, people will opt for private vehicles, which will further clog the already clogged Pune roads,” he said.

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