PMPML bus depots in Pune will undergo infrastructure upgrades before the public transport operator adds 1,000 buses by the end of March, following directions issued by Pune Municipal Commissioner Naval Kishore Ram at a meeting on depot improvements.
The commissioner has instructed officials to ensure adequate electricity supply, asphalt work within depot premises, boundary walls and other basic infrastructure before the new buses are inducted. The meeting was attended by PMPML chairman and managing director Mahesh Awhad and municipal officials.
The directive comes as the Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited fleet is expected to expand significantly. According to the report, 1,000 buses are scheduled to be added by the end of March, while 1,500 buses are expected to join the fleet over the following year up to March. The new buses are being procured through the Central Government’s e-drive scheme and are described in the report as CNG buses.
PMPML’s depots are currently facing operational constraints. The report says several depots are in poor condition and do not have enough space for bus repairs. This creates difficulties in maintaining vehicles and preparing them for daily operations. Buses also have to be parked on roads at night because of inadequate depot space, creating a security concern.
The infrastructure requirements identified by the civic administration are basic but central to the functioning of an expanding bus system. Reliable electricity is required for depot operations, asphalted surfaces are needed for vehicle movement and maintenance, and boundary walls are intended to improve site security. Without adequate depot capacity, adding buses could increase pressure on existing facilities even as the fleet grows.
PMPML currently has approximately 1,900 buses and carries between 1.1 million and 1.2 million passengers every day, according to the report. The report also says that breakdowns and an insufficient number of buses force passengers to travel in overcrowded vehicles. The planned fleet expansion is therefore linked to both capacity and service reliability.
The 1,000-bus procurement is backed by a combined allocation of Rs 750 crore. The Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority is expected to provide Rs 500 crore, Pune Municipal Corporation Rs 150 crore and Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation Rs 100 crore. The funding arrangement places the depot upgrade within a wider effort by regional and local authorities to strengthen public transport across Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad.
The municipal administration’s immediate focus is to complete depot improvements before the incoming buses are placed into service. The next operational milestone is the induction of the first 1,000 buses by the end of March, alongside the infrastructure work ordered at PMPML depots.
