Pune: Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar has instructed the Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporations to resume operations of buses of Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited (PMPML) as early as possible.

Pawar has also asked the civic bodies to offer financial assistance to the PMPML to recover its losses during the lockdown period. Meanwhile, PMPML administration has started preparations and planning of routes to resume operations from August 21 or 22.

Pawar held a meeting in Pune on Friday to review the situation due to Covid-19 outbreak in the city. At the meeting Pawar expressed his desire to resume PMPML services with adequate care. He asked the Municipal Corporations of Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad to decide on this issue and also provide financial assistance to the utility service provider company to cover up for its losses due to the lockdown.

When contacted for comment on this issue, Rajendra Jagtap, President and Managing Director of PMPML confirmed that there was a discussion on resuming bus services. He also clarified that there are plans to restart PMPML bus operations next week.

PMP had also demanded earlier that bus services be resumed in both the cities. Corporator Shankar Pawar, who is also Director of PMPML, had also given a letter to both the Municipal Corporations. According to the PMP's proposal, traffic will be resumed on at least 30 routes in the initial phase in both cities, excluding the containment zones declared by the civic bodies.

The bus will carry passengers of only 50 per cent of its capacity. Also, each bus will be sanitised at least three times a day. Officers and employees have been instructed about these guidelines to be followed. Also, the air conditioning system in the bus will be banned, the PMP has said in its earlier proposal.

PMP bus service has been closed since March 25. Currently, the bus service is available only for those employees who are engaged in essential services. The PMP is losing about Rs 1.5 crore every day due to the closure of services. The PMP has sent about 5,000 employees on deputation to Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporations.