Pune commuter group demands PMPML reduce its fares

With the reduction in diesel prices, the Pravasi Manch says the transport body should provide relief to its passengers

Pune commuter group demands PMPML reduce its fares

Pune traffic

With the reduction in diesel prices and inflation, commuter groups have demanded that the Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited (PMPML) revise their fare structure to provide relief to regular customers. They want the ticket prices of buses to be reduced.

Activists of the Pune Mahanagar Parivahan (PMP) Pravasi Manch believe that PMPML will gain more passengers this way, which in turn will prove beneficial to the public transport utility to cut down its losses. “PMPML’s duty is to provide uninterrupted and timely public transport. In the last three years, every time there was a hike in diesel prices or rise in inflation, the PMPML had increased fares, but now when the diesel prices have come down for the first time, the transport body is not reducing its fares,” said Jugal Rathi, president of PMP Pravasi Manch.

Rathi added, “To cut down the losses suffered by PMPML both Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporations will give R50 crore in total to PMPML this year. If the fare structure is revised, it will eventually help increase passenger footfall and reduce losses of the public transport body.”

“Low cost commuting through PMPML will also encourage citizens to use public transport instead of private vehicles. Then why isn’t the public transport utility taking this decision on priority basis? We submitted our letter of demands on Tuesday to the Board of Directors of PMPML and we hope that they will take a decision on this soon”, Rathi said.

No reduction in fares
According to PMPML Joint Managing Director Praveen Ashtikar, even if the diesel rates have reduced there will be no reduction in bus fares. “Diesel has reduced by R4 now, but it had increased by R11 in the last one and half years. Hence, there will be no reduction in fares.”