PUNE: The Pune Mahanagar Parivhan Mahamandal Limited (PMPML) has initiated steps to recover dues worth Rs 111 crore from Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad municipal corporations.

"While PMC owes Rs 69 crore to the transport utility, PCMC is supposed to pay Rs 42 crore. We have communicated to the municipal corporations that they have to pay the dues without any delay," Pravin Ashtikar, joint managing director of the PMPML, told reporters on Friday.

"The PMPML has given free passes to various sections of commuters as per directives from the civic bodies. However, Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad corporations have not yet paid the charges for the same," Ashtikar said.

Ashtikar said the transport body issues 12 categories of passes to passengers, such as civic employees, students, visually and physically challenged people. The municipal corporations are expected to make the payment for these passesas it's they who announce these plans in their budgets.

The PMPML will arrange a special meeting with the chiefs of both the corporations and highlight the situation. A plan for recovering the dues will be charted out soon, said Ashtikar.

The PMPML has nearly 1,650 buses at present. Of this, 450 are off the road for various reasons. tnnHence, approximately only 1,200 buses ply. Nearly four years ago, the Pune Municipal Transport (PMT) and Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Transport (PCMT) authorities were merged to form the PMPML.