PMPML bus depots in Pune will undergo infrastructure upgrades before the transport undertaking receives up to 2,500 additional buses over the next year, following directions issued by Pune Municipal Commissioner Naval Kishor Ram at a meeting held at the municipal corporation on October 19, according to a report by Sakal.
The proposed improvements are intended to prepare the depots for a larger fleet and address operational and safety problems currently affecting PMPML facilities. The commissioner directed officials to improve electricity supply, asphalt depot surfaces and boundary walls, among other works, before the new buses are inducted.
PMPML currently operates around 1,900 buses and carries an estimated 1.1 million to 1.2 million passengers every day, the report said. The existing fleet has faced problems involving buses that are out of service or insufficient for demand, resulting in overcrowding for passengers using the public transport system.
The depot upgrades are being planned as PMPML prepares for a substantial increase in fleet size. Ram said 1,000 buses are expected to join the fleet by the end of March, while another 1,500 buses are expected to be inducted over the following year. The report did not specify the exact delivery schedule for each depot or provide a project-wise cost estimate for the infrastructure works.
A funding arrangement has been outlined for 1,000 CNG buses. The Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority is expected to contribute Rs 500 crore, the Pune Municipal Corporation Rs 150 crore and the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation Rs 100 crore, taking the combined allocation to Rs 750 crore. A further 1,000 CNG buses are expected to be provided to PMPML through the central government’s e-drive scheme, according to the report.
The condition of the depots has emerged as an operational constraint. Sakal reported that several facilities do not have adequate space for bus repairs, making maintenance work difficult. Buses also have to be parked on roads at night because of limited depot capacity, creating a stated security concern. These conditions have added urgency to the infrastructure review before the larger fleet enters service.
The October 19 meeting was attended by PMPML Chairman and Managing Director Mahesh Awhad and municipal officials. The discussion focused on improving depot spaces and ensuring that essential infrastructure is available before the buses arrive. The commissioner said depot preparation was necessary ahead of the planned fleet expansion.
The immediate challenge for the civic bodies and PMPML is to complete the required depot works alongside the procurement and induction of buses. The report did not state which depots will be upgraded first, the tendering process for the works or the deadlines for completing individual improvements.
