PMPML has started new routes from all over the city to the tech hub
In a bid to provide efficient bus service to more than 25,000 people working at the Hinjewadi IT Park, Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited (PMPML) will be starting new routes from all over the city to the tech hub. Routes from Deccan, Hadapsar and other major bus stands around the city will be taken.
Representation pic
More routes soon?
“Last week we had a meeting with some of the representatives of the IT companies working at Hinjewadi Park, and they demanded a bus service from different parts of the city to the area. So, we conducted a survey to ascertain if there was a need for the bus services,” said PMPML chairman and managing director Ramchandra Joshi. “After our analysis, we identified 18 areas from where bus services can be started to Hinjewadi IT Park. But, to begin with, we will start with two routes and increase them in the near future. Another important observation that surfaced during the survey was that apart from Hinjewadi IT Park, due to the spurt in IT companies, commuters making their way to EON IT Park-Kharadi and several other parts where IT firms are setting up base, are demanding bus services,” added Joshi.
Commuter speaks
Deccan resident Kedar Paranjpe, an IT employee working at Hinjewadi, said, “It was our long-pending demand to PMPML that such a bus service should be started. However, only starting the bus service is not enough, ensuring good frequency, every 10 minutes, would build confidence amongst the IT professionals to shift towards public transport.” We want options apart from our company conveyance, and that too with affordable fares by the PMPML. Another IT employee, on condition of anonymity, said, “There are four types of people who commute to Hinjewadi IT Park – senior officials in cars, two- wheeler riders, employees who use company transport, and the rest by public transport. PMPML should focu s on all types of commuters and, if possible, it should first start shuttle services from nearby areas to the IT Park.”
Shuttle service
A shuttle service from Wakad and Dange Chowk to Hinjewadi IT Park has been started last week, and 12 buses have been allocated by the transport body. Speaking about this new initiative, PMPML traffic manager Sunil Gavali told MiD DAY, “We are getting a good response to this shuttle service, whereas for the long routes from Kothrud and Katraj, currently we are running buses only during morning and evening office hours. The reason behind this is, the IT company employees’ shift timings are mostly in the morning and evening, and there are no commuters on these routes in the afternoon, so we have to run empty buses. After studying the response to this new service for a few weeks, we will increase the number of buses, and also new routes will be introduced to Hinjewadi IT Park.”
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