Pune PMPML buses are set to increase by 2,500 over the next year, but the city’s depots must first be upgraded to handle the expanded fleet, according to instructions issued by Pune Municipal Corporation Commissioner Naval Kishore Ram after a meeting with PMPML officials on Monday.
The upgrades will include strengthening electricity supply, asphalting depot premises and constructing boundary walls. The instructions were issued during a meeting attended by PMPML Chairman and Managing Director Mahesh Awhad and other civic officials. The discussions focused on improving infrastructure at PMPML depots before additional buses enter service.
Commissioner Ram said 1,000 new buses would be added to the PMPML fleet by the end of March, with another 1,500 expected to become available over the following year. He directed the administration to complete the necessary depot works in time so that the new buses can be operated without disruption.
PMPML currently has around 1,900 buses and carries between 1.1 million and 1.2 million passengers each day, according to the report. The transport undertaking is expected to receive 1,000 CNG buses through a funding arrangement involving the Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority, Pune Municipal Corporation and Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation.
Under the arrangement, PMRDA is expected to provide Rs 500 crore, while Pune Municipal Corporation will contribute Rs 150 crore and Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation Rs 100 crore. Together, the three bodies are expected to make Rs 750 crore available for the purchase of 1,000 CNG buses. The report also states that PMPML will receive another 1,000 CNG buses through the central government’s E-Drive scheme.
The planned expansion comes as PMPML faces operational constraints linked to both fleet size and depot capacity. The report says several depots do not have sufficient space for bus repairs, affecting maintenance operations. Some buses also have to be parked on roads at night, creating concerns about their security.
These constraints could become more pronounced as the fleet expands. Additional buses require adequate parking space, maintenance areas, electricity infrastructure and secure depot boundaries. Without those facilities, the arrival of new vehicles could increase pressure on existing operations rather than immediately improving service reliability for passengers.
The fleet expansion is intended to strengthen public transport and help reduce congestion in Pune. However, the municipal and transport authorities’ immediate focus is on ensuring that depot infrastructure keeps pace with the planned increase in buses. The administration has been instructed to prioritise the works before the new vehicles are inducted into regular operations.
