Putting passengers' safety at risk, the Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited (PMPML) is conducting overcrowded trips to various locations with their passengers sandwiched between seats and aisles during peak hours.
The college-going students and residents are travelling in jam-packed city buses with no space to even breathe. Rupesh Sarode, a resident of Kothrud, said, "I take a bus on weekends, mostly bus number 99 (Kothrud-Vishrantwadi), and the bus is so overcrowded as the number of buses going on that route is less and PMPML should increase the buses. Also, due to lots of stoppages, commuters experience jerking due to the brake being applied. More buses should be deployed, especially for long routes."
Chaitanya Ket, a Kothrud resident, also expressed his frustration, "Commuting by bus has become nearly impossible. Today, I took a bus from Hinjawadi to PMC, and it was overcrowded, with everyone standing. Passengers were requesting online payment options, but the process was time-consuming for the visibly frustrated conductor. Most people were handing him ₹100, ₹200 or ₹500 notes, but what choice do they have when online payments have become the norm and cash circulation is minimal? The bus was packed, with passengers crammed together. At each stop, people rushed to board the bus, some even hanging outside. It's especially challenging for women to get in and out of the buses, but it felt like navigating an obstacle course in a Takeshi's Castle game."
"The situation was further worsened by a labour-class crowd, many chewing paan masala, staring at others as if they were straight out of Gangs of Wasseypur. Just exchanging glances seemed enough to provoke a fight. The bus itself was in poor condition, rattling with noise and jerking movements, as if it could break down at any moment. As I looked out at the roads lined with flex banners, the smiling faces of visionary leaders stared back at us, they were smiling at us," added Ket.
Another resident, Shubham Kshirsagar, pointed out, "Overcrowding has been the second name or synonym of public transport in our country for a long time. Two years ago, Delhi HC expressed concern about this and sought a report from the Union Government, but the situation remains the same."
Meanwhile, speaking to The Free Press Journal, Santosh Gavhane, Chief Transport Manager (Operations), PMPML, said, "There is a shortage of buses. We have a population of around 75-80 lakh including PMC, PMRDA, PCMC. However, currently, we have around 2000 buses and for one lakh of the population, we should have at least 50-60 buses. We are making a plan to increase the frequency of these buses and by the end of this month 400 new CNG buses will be inducted into the fleet."
