Pune: PMPML to resume the bus services in Pimpri-Chinchwad from tomorrow

Passengers are required to wear masks, and children under 10 and seniors over 65 years of age will not be permitted to board the bus. (Rerpesentational)

Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited (PMPML) will resume their services in Pimpri-Chinchwad area since May 26, with each bus carrying 21 passengers, or 50 percent of their sitting capacity. Passengers sitting in a zig-zag manner as for seat brands, and there will not be any standing passengers.

Passengers are required to wear masks, and children under 10 and seniors over 65 years of age will not be permitted to board the bus.

The public transport of the body, which has suffered losses of around Rs 100 crore due to the suspension of services during the running of the bulls, has decided to resume services in Pimpri-Chinchwad (as well as some MIDC clusters located in suburban areas outside of the municipal boundaries) after PCMC municipal commissioner Shravan Hardikar allowed the bus to operate at 50 percent of their capacity.

Anant Waghmare, traffic manager, PMPML, said that the three deposits in PCMC areas, namely, Pimpri, Bhosari and Nigdi, will cover around 80 buses from Tuesday. “The seats have been marked in such a way that half of the seats will remain unoccupied. Separate marks have also been made in the seats for the women and men, and to ensure that the passengers sit in a zigzag, so that the maximum distance that is maintained between two nearest passengers,” said Waghmare.

Apart from this, the buses will be cleansed at regular intervals and drivers will be asked to urge passengers to maintain social distancing. In addition, the special sterilizing the equipment will be deployed at bus stops to clean the metal handles and seats.

Waghmare said that the transport body is currently operating 150 buses in various parts of the PMC and PCMC to transport those involved in “essential services”. With 80 buses will be operating from Tuesday, the number of buses on the road that goes up to 230. “Apart from this, we are also providing about 200 to 250 buses to feed the Shramik Special trains that are being operated from Pune train station as well as Uruli station for about two weeks. The service will go, it seems that now, until the end of this month,” said Waghmare.

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