Pune: Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation to Auction Over 100 Aging Vehicles

Reported By Varad Bhatkhande

Pimpri Chinchwad, 20th July 2024: Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) is set to auction 135 vehicles that are more than 10 years old. The majority of these vehicles belong to the Health Department of PCMC. The auction will include cars such as the Hindustan Ambassador and Tata Manza, which were used by first and second-class officers. PCMC will soon publish an e-tender for these 135 cars, expected to generate revenue for the corporation.

PCMC currently has a total of 594 vehicles that run on diesel and petrol. Some of these vehicles are used by class one and class two officers, while others include garbage collection vehicles from the Health Department. The 135 vehicles, which are over a decade old, will be sold through an e-auction.

The vehicles to be auctioned include 119 Tata Small Commercial Vehicle (SCV) trucks, 2 compactors, 5 road sweepers, 3 Logans, 2 carcass vans used by the Veterinary Department, 1 Hindustan Ambassador, and 3 Tata Manzas from the 8 ward offices of PCMC. The auction is expected to bring in significant revenue for PCMC.

The PCMC Vehicles Workshop Department is in the final stages of preparing for the e-auction process, as revealed by Executive Engineer Kailas Divekar. Due to the increasing pollution from petrol and diesel vehicles in Pimpri Chinchwad, PCMC is encouraging citizens to use electric vehicles to help curb air pollution. PCMC has also initiated this change by transitioning their official vehicles to electric.

In July 2023, PCMC purchased 79 electric vehicles, including 25 Tata Nexons and 54 Tata Tigors. Additionally, PCMC is planning to rent electric vehicles on a 5-year contract, with the corporation covering the driver’s salary and paying Rs 51,000 monthly for repairs, charging, and other expenses. Recently, PCMC Commissioner Shekhar Singh approved the acquisition of 21 EVs for various departments, including Health and Garden.

Executive Engineer Kailas Divekar said, “Some of PCMC’s vehicles are over 10 years old and are no longer in usable condition. The e-auction for 135 vehicles will proceed as per senior orders. The vehicles being auctioned run on petrol and diesel, with the majority coming from the Health Department of PCMC.”