Pimpri-Chinchwad’s Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) has emerged as a crucial pillar of sustainable mobility in the Pune Metropolitan Region, moving an impressive 2.4 lakh commuters every day.
As urban India wrestles with mounting congestion and pollution, the BRTS model in this growing city is quietly proving its worth—by moving more people in less space, at a lower carbon cost. Operated by the Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited (PMPML), the BRTS in Pimpri-Chinchwad now accounts for nearly 22% of PMPML’s total daily ridership of 11 lakh passengers. Its extensive corridors—spanning Nigdi-Dapodi, Dighi-Alandi, Sangavi-Kiwale, Kalewadi-Chikhali, and Nashik Phata-Wakad—have transformed public mobility across the region’s East-West and North-South belts.
City Commissioner Shekhar Singh described the Rainbow BRTS as “the lifeline of Pimpri-Chinchwad,” noting its affordability, frequency, and reliability. “We aim to make public transport the first choice for residents. Expanding BRTS corridors and scaling up our bus fleet is key to achieving this,” Singh stated. Notably, the city’s current network is designed with proximity in mind—96% of Pimpri-Chinchwad’s population lives within 500 metres of a bus stop. The BRTS’s dedicated lanes, coupled with short wait times between 1.5 and 6 minutes during peak hours, have made it an efficient alternative to private vehicles. These factors have contributed to reduced traffic volumes and air pollution, aligning with national climate goals.
Mobility experts argue that the system’s high efficiency lies in its smart design. According to Joint City Engineer Bapu Gaikwad, the Nigdi–Dapodi corridor uses just 15% of available road space to transport over 5,600 people per hour. In contrast, over 50% of the road space used by mixed traffic barely moves 7,200 people. “The numbers don’t lie—BRTS is the most space- and energy-efficient mode we have,” he said. To meet rising demand and reduce service gaps, the civic body is rapidly expanding its fleet. Under multiple procurement schemes, PCMC is set to add 2,400 buses—including 400 new CNG units, 1,000 supported by state and municipal funds, and 1,000 more through central schemes. This aggressive scaling aligns with benchmarks set by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, which advises a combined fleet of 6,500 buses for Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad by 2025, rising to 8,100 by 2031.
Urban transport analysts believe Pimpri-Chinchwad’s BRTS could serve as a national model for cities grappling with similar mobility challenges. Its success offers a blueprint for equitable and eco-friendly transportation that supports both low-income commuters and climate-resilient infrastructure. In a time when Indian cities must rethink their carbon footprints and travel patterns, Pimpri-Chinchwad’s quiet revolution in public transport may well be the benchmark the rest of the country needs to follow.
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