PMPML resumes bus services in Pimpri-Chinchwad area

Pune: The Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited (PMPML) has resumed its bus service in the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) area from Tuesday.

After a gap of two months, the buses departed from depots to pick up passengers at 6 am.

The PMPML traffic manager Anant Waghmare said, “The PMPML is resuming services in the PCMC area with 80 buses on the first day. Only three depots are functional as of now." He added that the response was low and very few passengers boarded the buses. "We are expecting that it will take response from tomorrow," Waghmare added.

On May 21 a meeting was held with PMPML officials and PCMC commissioner to start the service in the jurisdiction.  Only three depots -- Pimpri, Nigdi and Bhosari will function as of now.

The seating arrangements inside the bus are in the zig-zag pattern. Usually, every row can accommodate two passengers in one row, on one side of the aisle. Now it will have only one passenger per bench. Also, before boarding, passengers will be asked to follow the social distancing guidelines.

According to the official, “The PMPML will observe the response coming from passengers and then it will decide whether it should run on the same number of buses or reduce or increase. However, we have asked our drivers and conductors to follow all precautions and ensure that passengers do so too."

Meanwhile, buses are running only in PCMC area limits, they will not be entering Pune Municipal Corporation area.