PUNE: The Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited (PMPML) administration claimed that due to non-availability of space at Pimpri and Bhosari bus depots, the 25 to 30 midi buses were parked at Shewalewadi depot in Hadapsar.
However, a senior official on condition of anonymity said that the midi buses were not financially beneficial for the transport utility. “The 12-metre (in length) buses have been given priority to ply on the roads,” he said.
The administration has added new 12-metre long buses in the fleet and these buses are parked in Bhosari and Pimpri depots. There is no space inside the depot so the midi buses were parked at Shewalewadi. It recently stirred a controversy with activists criticising the PMPML.
As many as 375 new CNG buses which are 12-metre in length were added to the fleet of PMPML. These buses were given to Pimpri and Bhosari bus depots and midi buses were parked inside both the depots. The new buses attracted passengers and generated good revenue compared to the midi buses. Therefore, giving priority to revenue generation, the administration allowed midi buses to be parked at Shewalewadi.
“After Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) MLA Chetan Tupe pointed out that the midi buses were parked at Shewalewadi bus depot instead of plying on the road, the administration took immediate action and vacated the Shewalewadi depot and parked the buses at Bhosari depot,” said a senior officer on condition of anonymity.
“PMPML has around 200 midi buses. In the last two years, these buses were plying on the roads but many midi buses were not plying as they were not generating adequate revenue and also faced technical issues in the past. Also, the number of breakdowns in midi buses had increased. Several senior officers were unhappy with the performance and raised questions over the credibility of the buses. These are the main reasons why the buses are not plying on the roads,” said the officer.
