PUNE: The Thematic Pune Darshan, a special bus service plan of the civic body to boost tourism in the city, has failed to roll out though four years have passed since its approval.
The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), in association with the Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mandal Limited (PMPML), had planned to introduce special theme-based tours in the city in 2015. These tours included guided travel to Information Technology (IT) park, heritage buildings and gardens. The PMPML was supposed to buy 10 new air-conditioned (AC) buses for the purpose.
“The purpose of the Thematic Pune Darshan was to take the tourists to destinations bearing significance of the city’s history and identity. The project has failed to move forward as expected. The civic body should make sure that such tours are organized soon,” former mayor Prashant Jagtap said. He was also a member of the PMPML board that had approved the proposal in 2015.
PMPML traffic department head Anant Waghmare admitted to the delay in the implementation of the project.
“The thematic tour project is yet to take off. We have, however, started a tour for the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation areas on the lines of the Pune Darshan bus services. We are yet to see much response to the service,” he said.
At present, the PMPML runs AC and non-AC bus services as part of its Pune Darshan service for carrying visitors to several tourist sites. A joint venture by the PMC and PMPML, the service was availed of by around 11,400 tourists in 2019, an official in the transport utility said. The official added that the civic administration generated around Rs4.5 lakh per month through this service.
The municipal budget for 2020-21 had stated to spend funds on repairs and restoration of heritage structures in the city. Along with the conservation, the aim was to promote tourism.
The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), in association with the Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mandal Limited (PMPML), had planned to introduce special theme-based tours in the city in 2015. These tours included guided travel to Information Technology (IT) park, heritage buildings and gardens. The PMPML was supposed to buy 10 new air-conditioned (AC) buses for the purpose.
“The purpose of the Thematic Pune Darshan was to take the tourists to destinations bearing significance of the city’s history and identity. The project has failed to move forward as expected. The civic body should make sure that such tours are organized soon,” former mayor Prashant Jagtap said. He was also a member of the PMPML board that had approved the proposal in 2015.
PMPML traffic department head Anant Waghmare admitted to the delay in the implementation of the project.
“The thematic tour project is yet to take off. We have, however, started a tour for the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation areas on the lines of the Pune Darshan bus services. We are yet to see much response to the service,” he said.
At present, the PMPML runs AC and non-AC bus services as part of its Pune Darshan service for carrying visitors to several tourist sites. A joint venture by the PMC and PMPML, the service was availed of by around 11,400 tourists in 2019, an official in the transport utility said. The official added that the civic administration generated around Rs4.5 lakh per month through this service.
The municipal budget for 2020-21 had stated to spend funds on repairs and restoration of heritage structures in the city. Along with the conservation, the aim was to promote tourism.
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