Pune: Close to one third of buses owned by the Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited ( PMPML ) are nine or more years old, and the ageing fleet is a cause for concern as they often lead to operational problems, transport body officials said.In reply to queries sent by transport activist Sanjay Shitole, a senior PMPML official (a copy of the letter is with TOI) said that most buses in the PMPML’s fleet were aging and there was no alternative but to replace them. “I was expecting the answer, but it raises many questions. Does the PMPML want to say that they cannot do much until they get new buses? Also, if they are accepting that maximum buses are aging, what have they done about the situation until now? It is only now that some new electric buses have been included in the fleet,” Shitole said.PMPML has 2,037 buses. Out of these 1,384 belong to PMPML, and the rest to private contractors.“When it comes to buses owned by PMPML, anything between 300 and 400 of them are 9 years old or even older,” PMPML public relations officer Subhash Giakwad told TOI.“The letter further said that all depot managers and technicians have been told to ensure that until the new buses arrive, the existing fleet has to be in good shape. The buses should be regularly checked and inspected, particularly before trips. However, it seems that the same isn’t happening as buses continue to break down or catch fire. With summer approaching, there are more chances of buses catching fire,” Shitole added.Another PMPML official said that 25 electric buses will arrive by this month and close to 150 new buses will be included in the next 6 months. “These include 125 electric buses. In the next 2 months, we will get around 70 buses most of which will be for Tejaswini,” the official said.------------------------OPERATIONAL PROBLEMS*PMPML has been plagued by frequent breakdowns and buses catching fire*Since April 2017, 17 PMPML buses have caught fire* Around 300 to 400 PMPML buses are 9 years old or even older* Close to 4,000 trips are being cancelled by PMPML every day* PMPML is losing around Rs20 lakh per day in terms of revenue from fares* According to PMPML’s regulations, buses are phased out in 10 years or if the vehicles have completed 7 lakh km* Officials have instructed all depot managers to pay attention to bus maintenance during summer* Recently, Pune RTO had asked PMPML to stop plying 15 buses deemed to be fire-prone* PMPML has stated that they have not received anything in writing pertaining to the same from RTONew Fleet* The additional 125 e-buses are expected to come in phases by April or May* PMPML intends to have 1640 new buses by this year end

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