‘Public transport needs to change with the times’

PUNE: “Private vehicles have changed rapidly, but there is no change in public transport buses. Due to this, more people prefer private vehicles over public vehicles,” said State Transport Secretary Ashish Kumar Singh on Friday. He added that considering this, State government is planning to purchase 10,000 buses on the lines of PMPML for the State Transport. 

Singh was speaking to media on Friday. He was in the city to release a study report ‘People Near Transit, Transit Near Pople’. The report has been prepared by NGO Institute of Transport and Development Plan (ITDP). PMC Commissioner Saurabh Rao, PMPML CMD Nayana Gunde, ITDP Senior Manager Pranjali Deshpande, RTO Sanjay Raut and other officials of PMC and PCMC were also present. 

“30 years ago, private vehicles and public transport vehicles (PMPML) were of the same standard. But over the years, private vehicles have changed rapidly. On the other hand, buses have not changed. Therefore, there is a need to change vehicles used for public transport. The owners of private vehicles should be encouraged to use public transport. This will happen only if the corporation, transport department and citizens join hands to bring this change

‘ONLY 2K BUSES’
PMPML CMD Nayana Gunde said, “There is a need of 3,200 buses for Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad. At present there are only two thousand buses. Both civic bodies will help to purchase 1600 buses in the next two years. After that each year 150 buses will be purchased.”

STUDY POINTS
- PMPML is available to 96 percent commuters, but only 66 percent are using 
- 10 percent will use Metro 
- 25 percent will use BRT 
- 31 percent passengers are deprived of PMPML buses due to less frequency 
- 23 percent of slum dwellers use PMPML 
- 40 percent students are deprived of PMPML service 
- PMPML service is not available for 38 percent employees’