The PMPML senior citizen concession will reduce regular bus fares by 50 per cent for passengers aged 60 years and above from November 1 across Pune, Pimpri-Chinchwad and the Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority area, the transport body said.
The concession has been approved by the Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited board of directors and will apply to ordinary tickets on all Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited bus routes. The announcement was issued by PMPML’s Chief Transport Manager (Operations) through a press release.
Senior citizens will need to carry proof of age to claim the discount. PMPML has listed an Aadhaar card, a PAN card or the transport body’s senior citizen identity card as accepted documents. Passengers using Aadhaar must ensure that the document displays their complete date of birth.
The new concession is separate from the existing discount on PMPML’s daily pass for senior citizens. The daily pass, which normally costs Rs 70, is currently available to eligible passengers for Rs 35. That arrangement will continue after the concession on regular fares begins.
Under the new decision, senior citizens will be able to receive a 50 per cent reduction on individual ordinary bus tickets rather than having to purchase a daily pass to access discounted travel. The benefit will therefore apply to eligible passengers making shorter or occasional journeys, as well as to those who already use PMPML buses regularly.
The concession covers the wider operating area served by PMPML, including Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad as well as routes within the PMRDA region. This makes the policy applicable across a connected urban area where residents often travel between municipal boundaries for healthcare, family, government and daily service needs.
PMPML said the move is intended to reduce the daily travel costs of elderly passengers and encourage greater use of public transport among senior citizens. The transport body has urged eligible passengers to use the scheme and carry one of the specified documents when travelling.
The decision places the responsibility for implementation on bus-level ticketing and verification systems across the PMPML network. The authority’s stated start date for the regular-fare concession is November 1, when senior citizens aged 60 years and above can begin claiming the reduced fares on ordinary tickets.
