PMPML is all set to get 100 CNG buses in the next three months and procure 400 more in a phased manner this year.
Ramesh Chavan, chief engineer, Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited (PMPML), said, “The transport utility has not got any new bus for more than a year now. The PMPML will own these 100 CNG buses. The tender for the same has been floated and we will start getting them from April. The whole procurement will be completed by July.”
At present, the fleet of PMPML consists of 2,079 buses. Around 1,600 of them ply daily. More than 300 buses in the fleet need to be replaced immediately.
“Once schools reopen after the summer vacation, PMPML will have these 100 buses ready and operational. Once this happens, we will be in a comfortable position to scrap all the old buses. Simultaneously, we will also start procurement of 400 more new CNG buses. A large part of them are expected to be in the fleet by the second half of the year. By the end of 2024, the PMPML is expected to have a total of around 2,500 buses in the fleet. While more buses are needed, these vehicles will solve the problem for some time at least,” another official said.
The official said that an experiment by PMPML, which involved conversion of a diesel buses into e-buses, had been completed successfully. “It is a major achievement considering that we were working on it for a year now. The bus is undergoing trial run in the Kothrud depot and has got the required approvals from the Central Institute of Road Transport (CIRT) and Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI). The range of the bus is 150km. If its trial run goes well, we can look towards conversion of 216 diesel buses to e-buses in phases. Discussions pertaining to the same is on,” the official said.Commuters have other worries, though. “Last year has been the worst for PMPML in terms of breakdowns. They should work hard this year to ensure minimum breakdowns and thereby lessen passengers’ hassles,” Nitin Keni, a working professional said.
