PMPML to outsource new buses

Transport agency plans to allow private operators to run 500 new buses to be acquired under the JNNURM scheme

The transport agency has finally decided to take matters out its hands. Fed up of being repeatedly targetted for its inefficient public transport service, the Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited (PMPML) will soon submit a special report to the state government proposing a public-private partnership (PPP) model by 2014.u00a0
The aim is to outsource the operation of its 500 new buses acquired under the JNNURM scheme. This will help PMPML meet its 'no profit no loss' target, said top authorities.


R N Joshi, MD and CEO PMPML

The PMPML has an annual budget of Rs 500 crore. According to the new plan, only salaries of bus conductors is to be paid by the PMPML, whereas salaries of drivers, expenses on fuel and maintenance is to be borne by the private operator, said R N Joshi, managing director and CEO of PMPML. "The operator shall also provide the bus driver, which can help us save up on drivers' salary and the overu00a0all maintenance of the bus," Joshi said.u00a0 "So far, of the 500 buses, 122 buses have arrived from JNURM. We are expecting 50 more by the end of this month. The PMPML started this experiment earlier by using 327 private bus operators. We have been saving Rs 4 per km on these buses for the last two years," he said.

Joshi said an additional Rs 72 crore was required to pay salaries of at least 1,000 employees as per the recommendation of the sixth pay commission. "We have been demanding the amount as a 'gap funding' from the state government," Joshi said. "So far, there shall be no hike in the ticket rates though the cost of diesel and now CNG prices have gone up and we are bearing an additional Rs 6 crore on fuel." Satish Kulkarni, assistant director, PMPML, said the transport body had suggested a 2.5 FSI for all the 10 existing depots in the city and Pimpri-Chinchwad. "This will help solve parking problems. We don't think there will be a problem in getting the approval of the Urban Development department," he said. "Parking the buses on city roads can be stopped and rampant thefts of bus seats, window frames and other material can be averted."

Fare watch
Outsourcing may be the better choice, but by hook or crook we need a better service from the PMPML. It is unfortunate for the last three years, the PMPML could not able to keep their promises. The frequency of buses are not goodu00a0-- Datta Ohal, government employee If the PMPML does not have control over the current bus service, then how they can keep a proper watch on the PPP model?u00a0 How long can we bear such experimentation? It is high time we get good resultsu00a0-- Asha Karkhanis, homemaker I don't know about the PPP or outsourcing of PMPML service. Will this benefit the students? Travelling on the PMPML bus from home to college is a nightmare. I am not sure if the new model will put a full stop to this-- Dhananjay Gaund, student