Public transport should be a priority for the government in terms of safety, hygiene & convenience. But it seems that it is not a priority neither for the government nor the municipal department.
Conditions of bus in Pune are worst and as it’s the cheapest mode of transportation, people travel through it so save money. The fact that 400 buses of the Pune are not road worthy and still continue to ply on the road. These buses are more than 12-years-old and have logged over 8.5 lakh kilometres which makes them vulnerable to operational problems. This clearly highlights the fact that what should have been the priority of the authorities, which is the safety of the passengers, has become the most neglected issue.
Four hundred buses running on city roads in such poor conditions are putting the lives of the residents, who use these services, at risk. Such buses are involved in fatal accidents and breakdowns. These buses were purchased 12 years ago, but the average life of these buses is nine years.
These 400 buses must be immediately taken off the road as they are a serious health and safety hazard to the population at large. The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) and PMPML authorities take advantage of civic illiteracy of Puneites and take decision of buying low quality buses which benefits the middlemen and businessmen at large. PMC and PMPML are largely regarded as the most untrustworthy civic brands which the residents despise every day. The thick skinned and corrupt administration of PMPML needs to undergo change, only then good buses can ply on the city roads. PMPML should change these old buses for some new ones. They shouldn’t play with people’s life’s like this. Or they can improve the condition of some of the old buses atleast.
Because of the irregularity of buses, people prefer Ola cabs or Uber. Ola drivers are polite and respectful to their passengers and they also have the if you are in any accident option where they return the cab fare if you are involved in any such cases.
