In a bid to automate and mechanise certain functions while putting older buses of the fleet to better use, the Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited (PMPML) has converted an old bus into a moving high-pressure cleaning system.
Bus stations of the Corporation’s Rainbow bus rapid transit system (Rainbow BRTS) were earlier cleaned manually by sweeping them. The plan to to change the process was initiated by Babasaheb Mulani, a bench fitter from the Pimpri Depot under the guidance of depot manager Bhaskar Dahatonde and DME Rajkumar Mane.
The vehicle was used to clean BRTS shelters in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad during the ongoing G20 summit.
PMPML shared a video explaining the new system to their social media accounts. Below is the video from their Youtube channel and the wonderful caption from their Instagram account.
Innovative BRT Bus stop cleaning system by PMPML
Until date BRT bus stops of PMPML were majorly cleaned using normal mechanisms like sweeping, but to thoroughly clean every corner of a bus stop PMPML came up with an idea to convert an old bus into a moving high pressure cleaning system.
Due to resolute efforts from Babasaheb Mulani (Bench Fitter) under the guidance of Bhaskar Dahatonde (Pimpri Depot Manager) and Rajkumar Mane (DME) this idea came into existence and was successfully executed.
As the cleaning performance of this innovation was excellent, this bus was also sent to clean BRT bus stops and routes during the G20 Summit.
PMPML heartily appreciates this innovative creation and ideation by our employees.
पीएमपीएमएलचे बीआरटी बस थांबे सध्यापर्यंत फक्त झाडून साफ केले जात होते, परंतु बसस्थानकाचा प्रत्येक कोपरा पूर्णपणे स्वच्छ करण्यासाठी पीएमपीएमएलमधील कर्मचाऱ्यांना जुन्या बसला चालत्या फिरत्या उच्च दाबाच्या स्वछता प्रणालीमध्ये रूपांतरित करण्याची कल्पना सुचली.
हि कल्पना सत्यात उतरविण्यासाठी पिंपरी आगाराचे आगार व्यवस्थापक भास्कर दहातोंडे व पिंपरी आगार अभियंता राजकुमार माने यांच्या मार्गदर्शनाखाली बेंच फिटर बाबासाहेब मुलाणी यांनी आटोकाट प्रयत्न करून टाकाऊ साहित्या पासून सर्व्हिस व्हॅन मध्ये ‘फिरते वॉशिंग सेंटर’ तयार केले व त्याचे यशस्वी प्रात्यक्षिक घेतले.
या प्रणालीच्या अत्यंत उत्कृष्ट कामगिरीमुळे जी२० परिषदेदरम्यान बीआरटी बस थांबे व मार्गांची स्वछता करण्यासाठी या यंत्रणेचा वापर करण्यात आला.
आमच्या कर्मचार्यांच्या या नाविन्यपूर्ण निर्मितीचे आणि कल्पनेचे पीएमपीएमएलतर्फे मनस्वी अभिनंदन.
PMPML
The vehicle is fitted with a 1 horsepower (1 HP) motor, a 2,000 litre Sintex tank and a service pipe. The bus is then driven to the bus stop and pressure washed.
According to Shri Mulani, Dahatonde, and Mane, the plan is convert older buses of the depot to such cleaning vehicles and use it to keep bus stops across the twin cities clean. A trial was conducted at the Akurdi BRTS stop. Passengers too appreciated the clean bus stop.
The rear of the PMPML Washing Service Van of the Pimpri Depot (Screengrab from PMPML’s video)
Transit fans of Maharashtra in the last one week have been celebrating for multiple reasons. The first was the obvious one, with former Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis returning to power, although some of us (me included) are disappointed that he’s Deputy CM and not the CM. The second, was the return of Ashwini Bhide to the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Limited (MMRCL), as well as the government’s focus on finishing the project with the depot at the Aarey Milk Colony (it’s not a forest). While the Eknath Shinde-Devendra Fadnavis government has also cleared all hurdles for the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail (MAHSR) corridor, another small but significant development has gone unchanged.
Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer Dr Shrikar Paradeshi has been appointed as a Secretary to the Deputy CM’s office.
Who is Dr Shrikar Paradeshi?
A 2001-batch IAS officer, Shrikar Paradeshi has held numerous posts in the past. He was the Municipal Commissioner of the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corportation from 2012 to 2014 where he earned the nickname ‘Demolition Man‘ for razing down illegally-constructed structures. He was also briefly the managing director (MD) of the Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited (PMPML). During his tenure at PCMC, he introduced Sarathi — (System of Assisting Residents and Tourists through Helpline Information). However, he proved to be too efficient, leading to his transfer to the State Inspector General of Registration and Controller of Stamps by the then Prithviraj Chavan-led government.
Paradeshi was subsequently appointed MD of PMPML again before he was transferred to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO). Post this, he did his master’s in public administration from Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and was then posted as MD of Maharashtra-based SICOM for a month in 2021. Post this, he went to Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland to do a master’s in public health.
Dr Paradeshi and the PMPML
Dr Paradeshi’s first stint in the PMPML was in July 2013 when he took two key decisions. The first was to rationalise all bus fares into multiples of ₹5 in order to plug revenue leakages and solve the issue of spare change. He focused on repairing buses and had officials visit different bus depots to ensure that buses departed on time.
His second innings with the PMPML began in December 2014 after eight NGOs approached chief minister Fadnavis with a demand for a “competent and result-oriented” IAS officer to lead the organisation. After taking charge, he began the process of getting the city’s bus fleet fully operational. There were around 160 buses that were lying in various depots that required repairs but weren’t, for want of funds. He had the PMPML set up a separate bank account that would deposit 6 per cent of daily revenues which would go towards repairing buses and managed to get to improve the functional fleet from 60 per cent to 75 per cent in three months.
In a public interaction, he stated his plans to set up a new website, proposed a mobile app and announced goals and targets for revenue collections, passengers and even advertisements.
Sadly, he ended up getting called to the Prime Minister’s office in April 2015.
If you are stepping out, do note that while masks are no longer mandatory, please stay safe, better safe than sorry.
A week after BEST announced plans to procure 800 double-decker buses and NMMT announced its intentions to begin trials, the Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited (PMPML) has announced its interest in the same.
Double-deckers were first operated in Pune in 1984 and were taken off the roads in 1995 due to operating costs and and accidents. I’m not sure if it was the Pune Municipal Transport (PMT) or Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Transport (PCMT) that operated them. At least six routes were operated on the Mumbai-Pune Road.
PMPML officials have stated that they have met with manufacturers of electric buses on the matter and keen on pursuing it due to chief minister Uddhav Thackeray’s alleged interest in double-decker buses.
The Corporation is looking at procuring buses on a wet-lease model, similar to BEST, while it will provide the required infrastructure for it. However, they have also agreed that operating double-decker buses isn’t an easy task and would require significant planning, particularly in the routes.
Note: After a little digging, I found more information. The double-deckers run earlier were operated by the PMT and not the PCMT. According to a DNAreport, PMPML originally considered bringing back double-decker buses to the fleet in late 2014, however the proposal did not move forward much. The criteria for re-induction of these buses was due to wider roads and increased congestion.
Another proposal was mooted in 2017, this time in electric form. It had the backing of both the BJP-led PMC and PCMC along with the backing of then Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and the Central Government.
Let’s hope PMPML is successful with its double-decker plans. The city currently has India’s largest fleet of electric buses.
If you are stepping out, make sure you wear a mask, follow COVID-appropriate behavior and keep your hands sanitised at all times. Maharashtra is still the top state by total cases and deaths.
In a bid to make commuting easier across the city, the Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport Undertaking (BEST) has announced that it will integrate the state government’s Universal Travel Pass (UTP) for vaccinated commuters with bus tickets booked digitally using either the Chalo app or card.
This move will ensure that commuters won’t have to carry a separate printout of their pass and will be digitally verified on the screen of the ticketing machine.
The travel pass was launched in August 2021 and anyone can apply for it two weeks (14 days) after receiving their second dose of the Covid-19 vaccine (Covishield, Covaxin or Sputnik V). It was integrated into the Railways’ UTS app in November 2021 so that commuters of the Mumbai Suburbam Railway need not carry a separate printout if they are booking a ticket using their phones.
There is no word on integration of the travel pass with ticketing mechanisms of other modes of transport such as the Mumbai Metro, Mumbai Monorail, buses of other municipal bodies or the state transport corporation (MSRTC).
The Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited (PMPML) recently made the pass mandatory for all those boarding buses in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad which has led to a mess due to the added hassle for conductors of checking the vaccination status of commuters. Given that the city also has a functional electronic ticketing mechanism in the form of the Mi Card, perhaps this step can be extended to Pune, although it is doubtful that may happen given the current government is behaving as if Mumbai is the only city in Maharashtra.
Hopefully, this will also help people move towards cashless travel.
If you are stepping out, make sure you wear a mask, follow COVID-appropriate behavior and keep your hands sanitised. Omicron is here and the situation is quite scary.
We all would have heard the saying “Hit the Iron, when it is Hot”. The Navi Mumbai Municipal Transport (NMMT) has proved it well. It brought about a revamp that not only improved its services but also encouraged people to prefer them over its counterparts. Here is a detailed analysis of how NMMT has been through a critical phase and brought several improvements in its bus service.
The Beginning
When a majority of the population in Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) was deprived of travelling by suburban trains, NMMT started Route 84 from Kurla Railway Station (East) to Bharat Gears (Mumbra) via Vashi and deployed their newly procured Ashok Leyland SLF CNG Buses. This invited a lot of criticism since both the destinations do not fall under the jurisdiction of NMMC. But this isn’t the first time NMMT has done it. Ghansoli Depot’s AC-131 is supposed to operate between Airoli Bus Station and Borivali Railway Station but most of the time operated between Borivali and Thane Railway Station (East), grabbing the passengers of the Thane Municipal Transport’s (TMT’s) only active Volvo route AC-65. Moving on, the undertaking received electric buses built by JBM Auto which brings us to the next point.
The Future is Electric
NMMT’s JBM e9 at Thane CIDCO on Route no. 4 to Vashi Sector 7 and Route 8 Vashi Rly. Stn (Photo: Gandharva Purohit)
As the Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited (PMPML) was getting MEIL Olectra K9D buses and the Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport (BEST) was gearing up with the delivery of Tata Starbus Ultra and Urban EV, NMMT too had plans for expanding the Electric Bus strength with JBM Ecolife e9 and e12. They set up fast chargers at Vashi Railway Station as well to improve the efficiency. The e9 fleet was deployed on Non-AC routes like 1, 4, 8, 9, 42, 111 and 144 charging Non-AC Fares and AC-105, AC-107 and AC-110 with AC fares. There were paper sheets pasted on the front and side of the bus saying “साध्या दरात एसी प्रवास” (AC Bus at Normal Fares). The buses were impressive, so were their numbers. Slowly, the JBM e12 showed up as well and they began their journey by working on trials. The trials took so long that the buses lying idle started getting damaged during monsoon.
Then, the rumors came of these buses commencing their services during Diwali. Finally, in mid-November the buses started plying on routes 1, 62 and 100 but with a twist.
The Fare Revision
Walking on the footsteps of BEST, NMMT too came up with a solution of fare revision to attract passengers to their AC services. From 23 October 2021, the fares were revised with the minimum fare slashed down from ₹15 to ₹10 and the maximum fare brought down from ₹110 to ₹65. Considering the Volvo fleet of NMMT and the maintenance these buses require, this fare chart is quite reasonable. Talking of the difference between Non-AC and AC fares, the new fares have shortened the gap, thereby encouraging passengers’ buying capacity to avail a comfortable ride in AC through paying a little more. NMMT not only publicised this policy through a Press Note, but even through putting up banners at various bus stops. The twist though is that they started charging the new AC fares in the JBM electric euses which are deployed on their several Non-AC Routes.
However, the difference can’t be felt to such an extent. For instance, a ticket from Thane CIDCO to Sanpada Police Station is ₹23 for a Non-AC bus while it is ₹30 for the AC bus plying on route 1 between Thane and CBD Belapur. The “साध्या दरात एसी प्रवास” tagline on all their Electric Buses was replaced with “वातानुकूलित बस सवलतीच्या दरात” along with pasting the revised fare chart onboard to make passengers aware of the change in fares.
Network Expansion: Connecting the Unconnected
NMMT’s JBM e12 arriving at Kharkopar Railway Station on Route no. 23 from CBD Bus Station. (Picture: Gandharva Purohit)
With Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) workers on an indefinite strike, NMMT saw another opportunity in this case and started expanding their operation radius beyond Navi Mumbai. Navi Mumbai itself is expanding, with the suburban rail now serving Ulwe (Kharkopar) and further planning to reach Uran. The Mumbai Trans-Harbour Sea-Link (MTHL) is being developed in full swing while Navi Mumbai International Airport remains a big Question Mark till date. The residential areas are developing in Ulwe on one hand and Taloja and Shil Phata on the other. Over the years, Ambernath – Badlapur never had their dedicated public transport undertaking and are dependent on NMMT unlike Kalyan – Dombivli who have KDMT to serve their areas. But the Volvos of the Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Transport (KDMT) are in miserable condition now and mostly operated from Vasant Valley Depot to Kalyan Railway Station.
NMMT now armed with a variety of Ashok Leyland JanBus, Tata LPO1613, Volvo B7RLE, JBM e12, JBM e9, Eicher Skyline Pro, Tata Starbus Ultra, the newly procured Ashok Leyland SLF CNG and some of their old CNG Buses to choose upon, was ready to tackle these situations.
First things first, the newly procured CNG SLF buses were put into service between Kurla and Bharat Gears Mumbra. This was an invitation to heavy amount of criticism but neither BEST nor TMT focused on this. So NMMT took the non-AC buses and started the service. It turned out to be a success since trains were not accessible for everyone, thereby major public transport commuters were relying on buses.
NMMT’s Tata LPO1613, Ashok Leyland JanBus and SLF CNG at CBD Belapur Railway Station (Picture: Gandharva Purohit)
.
They then started three routes to South Mumbai via the Eastern Freeway. One from Ghansoli Gharonda, one from Kharghar and one to CBD Belapur. These routes included the operations of CNG SLF buses, Volvo B7RLE and JBM e9 combined. When JBM e12 fleet was under trials, few of them were deployed on AC-107 from CBD Bus Station to World Trade Centre as well. Once their JBM e12 finally entered service, many were sent en route Lokmanya Nagar (100), Kalyan (62), Thane CIDCO (1), Bamandongri (17) on day one.
TMT meanwhile was busy playing around with its AC-145 which initially started from Bharat Gears Mumbra to Mumbai CSMT via the Eastern Freeway with just one Volvo sent in the morning and in the evening. This was later extended upto Datta Mandir near Kalyan Phata. It was a time-consuming route and the bus used to run empty. Even the driver didn’t bother to stop until someone requested. With the LED Display off, hardly anyone would notice its presence. Just like its predecessor AC-144 (Cadbury Junction to Mantralaya), it was ultimately shut down. There is a just a single newly-started route that TMT is handling well which is 74 from Thane to Diva Railway Station. Lately, they are running routes 79 and 99 from Mulund Check Naka to Parsik Nagar and Retibunder Kharegaon with a good frequency during peak hours.
NMMT’s Ashok Leyland SLF CNG on Route 58 from CBD Belapur to Khopoli. (Photo: Gandharva Purohit)
NMMT too recently started their route from Thane CIDCO to Diva Railway Station via Digha Village, numbered 86. Thus the Ghansoli depot’s Tata Starbus Ultra midi buses have started competing with TMT’s 2×1 Ashok Leyland diesel midibuses. On the southern end, NMMT had started plying buses from Vashi to Khopoli via Panvel. With the discontinuation of Khopoli Municipal Transport (KMT) service, this route proved to be a saviour. Currently, this route is curtailed up to CBD Belapur Railway Station. During the MSRTC Strike, another route was inaugurated from CBD Belapur. Route 49 to Karjat is operated by Asudgaon Depot via Panvel, Shedung and Chowk becoming the first municipal transport body to enter Karjat.
Conclusion
JNNURM Duo Ashok Leyland CNG of NMMT and BEST at Vashi Railway Station. (Photo: Gandharva Purohit)
NMMT was equally hit by losses during this pandemic but kudos to their planning, they are slowly coming out of this phase. Stretching their arms, there are talks to start buses towards Titwala, Shahapur but as of now, there is no confirmation regarding the same. From 1 September, BEST shrunk their network due to a fleet shortage despite having affordable ticket fares. TMT does not have any electric bus in its fleet as of today but there are talks to procure some of them in future. Once operating the Ashok Leyland buses which were similar to BEST, then the Volvos which are a pride of the undertaking, introducing the JanBus around 2017, rolling out the JBM e9 in late 2019 and the JBM e12 in 2021, NMMT has evolved over time. They have learnt from the mistakes that BEST made and ensured that they do not repeat it. Their Ghansoli Depot although needs improvement since it has roughest bus drivers of the undertaking and a below average maintenance of buses. The future seems bright for NMMT to expand its network since it has “Hit the Iron, when it is Hot”.
There might be several points I missed out. Do let me know about them in the comments section below.
Featured Image: NMMT Volvo on AC131 plying between Borivali and Thane at Waghbill Naka. Ghodbunder Road. (Photo: Gandharva Purohit)
If you are stepping out, make sure you wear a mask, follow COVID Appropriate behavior and keep your hands sanitised.
After exploring several avenues to boost revenues, loss-making Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited (PMPML) has decided to implement one more method. The Corporation has decided to install digital screens for advertisements inside buses.
This method was earlier pioneered by the Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking in Mumbai in the late 2007s. BEST buses had closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras positioned at the entrance and exit of buses and two screens at the front of the bus that alternated between footage from the cameras and advertisements. Anyone who took a BEST bus in 2007-2008 would remember trailers of Jimmy, the debut film of Mithun Chakraborty’s son Mimoh. It kept appearing every two minutes and was really annoying.
Below is an image of the new display inside a PMPML bus, shared on Twitter by Devesh Shah.
This can be a good revenue booster for PMPML, which is currently in dire straits. As per a news report from July, the corporation is expecting its losses to touch ₹9,600 crore in the next ten years.
PMPML has been looking at different avenues of monetising its available assets over the last year but many of its efforts have faced a lot of flak. The most critical response was to a plan in March where it was proposed to set up bus shelters with a small-shop attached to it. Many activists and the usual suspect Pune Mirror heaped unwarranted criticism over the move claiming it would attract paan-bidi shops and inconvenience passengers without a shred of evidence.
Subsequently PMPML began looking for other avenues, including starting parcel services and redeveloping its depots as commercial spaces.
The plan to set up digital displays may bode well for the corporation. A Business Standardreport from 2013 said that BEST was charging advertisers a mere ₹9,300 for a 10 second advert on displays across its fleet. Should PMPML equip all the buses in its fleet with displays, it can earn a significant amount. It can also make use of the displays present at its Rainbow BRTS stations.
Let’s hope PMPML succeeds this time. Video ads inside a bus may not be such a bad deal after all.
In another plan to get more people to use public transport, the Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited (PMPML) has introduced its new air-conditioned midi-bus, the Punyadasham. Fifty CNG-powered Eicher buses will be used as part of the Atal Seva Shuttle Scheme which will see these buses ply in the Peth areas of Pune with a flat fare of ₹10 which operates as a bus pass and can be used multiple times. The service was inaugurated on 9 July this year by former Chief Minister and current Leader of Opposition Shri Devendra Gangadharrao Fadnavis who travelled in the inaugural bus from Mahatma Phule Mandai to the Mayor’s House.
In order to buy the ticket, one must produce a government-issued ID such as a PAN Card, Aadhaar Card, etc. The existing ₹40 and ₹70 Daily Pass won’t work on these buses.
The 70 RS and 40 Rs day pass will be not work in this buses. Only 10 RS Pass. By taking these 10 RS Pass you can travel anywhere in central part of city in which the routes are allocated for this buses. The pictures of passes pic.twitter.com/n6IOkIWAvQ
In an article titledBus, Aadhaar dedo!, Pune Mirror decried this move as a bad idea, notwithstanding the fact that other cities such as Bangalore have had such a rule from 2015. They also lamented over how AC buses were violating Covid-19 norms in another article. It seems such criticism is only valid when a BJP-run Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PMC/PCMC) runs AC buses (PMPML) and not when a Shiv Sena-led Brihanmumbai and Thane MC (BMC/TMC) run AC buses (BEST/TMT) from the start of the Wuhan Virus pandemic. The Pune Mirror also cried along with the NCP when the Corporation decided to curtail 15 loss-making routes.
PMPML should however, consider using the existing Mi Card as an ID Card for these buses, since they are to be used as Common Ticketing systems for the Pune Metro.
A ₹10 AC ride in the heart of the city. Have fun, but take precautionary measures.
As part of a modernisation programme, the Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahanagar Mahamandal (PMPML) has decided to go in for development of 30 spaces that it owns, which includes 17 depots and 13 open spaces, reports in Punekar News and Hindustan Times have said. The project will be executed on a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) basis at a cost of ₹11,666 crore.
With the gap between revenue and expenditure shooting up from ₹23 crore in 2011-12 to ₹315 crore in 2019-20, PMPML is projecting its cumulative losses to touch ₹9,600 crore in the next ten years.
The newly built depots would feature workshops for maintenance of buses, along with parking facilities for the fleet while the upper levels would house commercial establishments including hotels, hospitals and office spaces.
A feasibility study was conducted by VK Associates which estimated that PMPML could earn up to ₹1,516 crore annually by redeveloping its depots and open spaces. The proposal is currently awaiting approval from higher authorities.
Owing to the ongoing pandemic, many transport corporations have been hit. PMPML on its part has been looking at alternative means of revenue generation, including setting up small kiosks at bus stops – a move that received unwarranted backlash over frivolous reasons – and also setting up a courier service.
Let’s hope PMPML goes forward with this development plan so that Pune can finally get the better public transport that it deserves.
With the ongoing lockdown causing a strain on the finances of public transport operators, the Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited (PMPML) is now looking at raising revenue through alternative means. After a well-thought idea to monetise bus stops with shops was ridiculed over flimsy reasons, the corporation is now looking at starting parcel services within its operational region according to a report by the Indian Express.
PMPML chief executive officer Rajendra Jagtap has said that the corporation is exploring new revenue sources to sustain itself. It is looking at running courier services on a revenue sharing basis with a private partner. While PMPML itself will handle the main transportation of goods, the private entity would handle last mile connectivity and loading and unloading of goods within the depots.
Jagtap added that the Corporation’s current fleet of buses can handle the load with a designated space near the rear entry or the driver’s compartment. Parcels will be loaded and unloaded at depots.
PMPML currently covers 300 routes across 1,900km within the Pune Metropolitan Region (PMR) that includes the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) limits, the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) limits, the Pune Cantonment, Khadki Cantonment and Dehu Road Cantonment limits along with 100 villages and towns in the vicinity. Buses run for 19 hours in a day till midnight, carrying 11 lakh passengers in a day.
Last week, the Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited (PMPML) launched a tender worth ₹45 crore under the Smart Cities Mission to set up 1,500 smart bus stops which included a 5x5x7 feet shop and kiosk. According officials of the corporation, the aim of this plan is to monetise bus stops, which makes sense given that the PMPML is currently sitting with a financial deficit of ₹600 crores.
However, the move has not gone down with certain people. Various groups including women’s organisations and others (interestingly described as ‘sundry’ by Pune Mirror in its not-so-neutral report) are opposing the move on rather flimsy grounds. They claim that the stalls will attract paan, bidi, gutka and cigarette shops which in turn will invite loiterers who might cause an inconvenience to female commuters. They have demanded that the corporation junk the plan and look at advertising and corporate social responsibility (CSR).
While advertising is lucrative, it’s scope is limited. As for CSR, the lesser said, the better. Now, the important question is, why is this move important. PMPML wants to implement these new bus shelters on all the bus rapid transit system (BRTS; also known as Rainbow) corridors as well as on major prime routes. It requires a total of 4,200 shelters across Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad, and currently has only 1,996 shelters and that figure includes 749 stainless steel shelters (similar to the ones in Mumbai) and 110 BRTS shelters.
The argument that this move will only attract paan-bidi stalls is an assumption. So far, no bus station (except maybe a few in scattered rural parts of India) has a paan-bidi or gutka stall on its premises. The same goes for metro stations. Along with this comes a question: Which paan-bidi stall will go thru a government bidding process to set up a stall when the proprietor can easily set up a stall elsewhere. Next point: Most such stalls are invariably located next to our just outside a restaurant or a bar, often attached to them but accessible from the outside. That’s where the business comes. People go there after drinking or eating. Why would they come to a bus stop if the profit motive is limited?
Going forward that this opposition is based on an assumption, let us review some precedents.
In 2015, the Ahmedabad Janmarg Limited (AJL), facing increasing losses decided to start renting out space to banks to set up ATMs. Then, it went a step further and approved a plan to set up a tea stall that would sell refreshments and soft drinks at Maninagar and Nehrunagar Janmarg stations. Of course it is important to note that AJL uses off-board ticketing using AFC gates, much like a metro rail system. The PMPML meanwhile does not have such a system in place for the BRTS. The onus on ensuring that the shops are rented out to the right people lies on the PMPML, but having said that, they would not be stupid enough to rent them out to paan shops.
Taking a leaf out of metro systems’ books across the country; many of them have turned to non-fare revenue to offset losses. This includes auctioning off naming rights of stations, something not feasible for bus stops, advertising on the bus shelters and of course, retailing. This is not just limited to India, it is seen globally at various metro systems across. The largest success stories of this are in Delhi, Mumbai and of course Chennai.
If people are concerned with the size of the shop, that’s the size of many shops on the Mumbai Metro and even the Chennai Metro. The Jai Shree Radhe Soda Pub on the Mumbai Metro and Tibbs Frankie outlet on the Chennai Metro are just slightly larger than the size prescribed by the PMPML. But if the AJL could successfully have done it, why not Pune?
With a burgeoning debt that the corporation is sitting on, non-fare revenue is a great way to ease the burden. Opposing good plans with flimsy excuses, not so good.
Featured Image: An old makeshift PMPML bus stop sign from 2015.
If you’re venturing out, please wear a mask and carry sanitiser with you:
