PMPML is preparing special bus services for industrial workers in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad, with operations planned around the three main shift-change timings used by companies in the region. The proposal is intended to use buses during periods when regular city routes experience lower demand while providing dedicated public transport for workers travelling to industrial areas.
According to a report by Pudhari, the key shift timings being considered are 6 am, 3 pm and 10 pm. These periods are significant for industrial establishments operating in three shifts, and PMPML is examining whether buses can be deployed to transport employees to and from workplaces at these times.
The plan is still being prepared and has not been presented as a launched service. PMPML is holding discussions with the managements of large companies, including companies located in the Chakan industrial area and other parts of Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad. The discussions are expected to help the transport undertaking assess the number of employees who require transport and the locations from which they travel.
The proposed routes will be determined after studying employee numbers and residential patterns, the report said. This approach would allow PMPML to identify routes connecting worker residential areas with industrial estates rather than operating a fixed network without information on where demand is concentrated.
The proposal is also linked to the use of PMPML buses outside the busiest periods on regular routes. The report said that at the relevant shift-change times, buses on other city routes may have fewer passengers and that some vehicles remain at depots or stops. PMPML is examining whether those vehicles can instead be used for industrial-worker services.
For workers, the plan could create a more dependable public-transport option for journeys beginning early in the morning, during the afternoon shift change or late at night. The reported objective is to provide safe and dedicated transport for employees working in industrial areas. The service would also address a specific gap created by shift timings that do not always align with the busiest periods of the regular city bus network.
The proposal has a commercial dimension for PMPML as well. By deploying buses when demand on other routes is lower, the undertaking expects to increase passenger use and add to its revenue. However, the report does not specify the number of buses, the proposed fares, the companies that may participate, the final routes or the date on which services could begin.
PMPML’s next steps are to continue discussions with large companies and complete the assessment of employee numbers and travel patterns. The service plan, including the routes and operational arrangements, is expected to be finalised after that exercise.
