Pune Traffic Police Takes Action Against Errant PMPML and ST Buses to Ease Traffic Congestion

Pune, 8th October 2023: The relentless traffic chaos in the city, exacerbated by overcrowded roads, aging infrastructure, and an ever-growing number of vehicles, continues to plague daily commuters.

However, a new source of frustration has emerged—the erratic behavior of PMPML (Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited) and ST (State Transport) buses. These buses, often seen halting on congested streets and disregarding traffic rules, are now facing repercussions as Pune City Traffic Police takes action to address the issue.

The city’s traffic woes have been intensifying, with streets feeling increasingly suffocated due to a combination of factors. Among these factors are the numerous PMPML buses that regularly obstruct traffic on busy and overcrowded routes. It has become a common occurrence for at least ten PMP buses to get stuck on the city’s roads each day. Over the three-month period from June to August, PMPML buses halted an astonishing 5,783 times across various parts of the city, according to traffic police data. The authorities assert that PMPML buses bear equal responsibility for causing traffic congestion, largely due to their subpar roadworthiness, leading to frequent breakdowns. The problem is further exacerbated by the fact that these buses are not being taken out of service promptly.

PMPML operates within Pune, Pimpri-Chinchwad, and the Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA) boundaries. Despite ongoing discussions about the need for efficient public transportation services, the situation on the ground has yet to improve. Traffic congestion continues to worsen as defective PMPML buses persist on the road. The problem tends to peak during the monsoon season, despite repeated advisories from traffic police not to put faulty buses into operation. With a surge in the number of PMPML bus breakdowns over the past few months, traffic police have decided to take proactive measures. A special campaign has been launched for one week, targeting fines against these buses for their traffic violations.

Both PMPML and ST bus drivers have faced criticism for their reckless behavior, including haphazard parking at signalized zebra crossings. Other vehicles parked in a similar manner are typically penalized by traffic police, but government-owned PMP and ST buses often evade such consequences. Moreover, these buses frequently disregard traffic signals, pushing through intersections even when the light is red. Proper parking at bus stops is also a concern, as buses are often positioned in ways that obstruct traffic flow, causing unnecessary congestion. To address these persistent issues and instill discipline among unruly drivers, traffic police have initiated these penal actions.

Vijayakumar Magar, Deputy Commissioner of Pune City Traffic Police, stressed that the same traffic rules apply to bus drivers as they do to all other motorists. Therefore, this special campaign aims to reinforce adherence to these rules.

Efforts to improve the behavior and mentality of PMPML bus drivers were undertaken in the past. A training class was organized by traffic police to educate PMP bus drivers on traffic regulations, proper bus parking, speed limits, and accident prevention. However, there remains room for improvement in driver behavior, and fines against errant PMPML bus drivers may be on the horizon to address these issues.

Similar concerns apply to ST corporation buses, which have been known to disregard traffic signals and habitually halt at zebra crossings.

Frequent complaints have been lodged against ST drivers for violating traffic rules, leading to the decision to enforce penalties against them as well.

As traffic congestion and related issues continue to plague Pune, these actions are seen as a step toward restoring order on the city’s roads and ensuring the safety of all commuters.