PMPML may expand its service for those on their final journey

Official says service that transports bodies will be given third bus if two prove inadequate

The city's public transport service believes in not only catering to the everyday commuters but also to those on their final journey.

The Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited (PMPML) may soon add a third bus to its service that transports dead bodies to the crematorium. Today, the service utilises two buses.

The buses being used for the purpose belong to the 15-year-old Pushpak service. In order to prevent breakdownu00a0-- the buses being 15-years-oldu00a0-- the PMPML is spending a good amount on maintenance.


In service: A PMPML van to transport bodies; driver Dashrat
Sonvalkar

The transport body charges only Rs 300 for the service. It is especially popular among the middle- and low-income groups. Anybody can call on 020-24440447 and book the service.

The service works in three shifts and attends to 20 to 25 calls per day. The bus reaches the caller's house and carries the body to the nearby crematorium. The bus can carry 30 to 40 people along with the body.

Dashrath Sarjerao Sonvalkar, a driver working for this service for two years, said he gets at least three to five calls in the eight hours he works.u00a0 "My shift is sometimes extended to 10 hours when there are more calls," he said. "The service is mainly useful for those from the suburbs, like Wanawadi, Hingne, Pashan, Aundh and Hadapsar."u00a0u00a0

Vasant Kamble, a resident of Janata Vasahat, Parvati, said the service was good and many were using it.
Satish Kulkarni, assistant managing director, PMPML, said he was proud the service is being used judiciously and getting popular. "If the present buses are inadequate, we can provide one more old bus soon and table a resolution before the executive body," he said.

But Sunil Burse, chief engineer, PMPML, disagreed with Kulkarni. He said PMPML is a public transport service and should not digress into other services. "The maintenance for these buses is high as they are old and we don't want to take the risk of it breaking down while a body is being transported. It's high time the PMC takes up the responsibility for transportation of bodies," he said.

1995
Year in which the service began

Rs 300
Charges for transporting a body