The Indian Express   07.08.2012

Transport utility asks civic bodies to provide 10 AC buses for IT employees

With the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) urging PMPML to start a special bus service for employees of Information Technology (IT) industry, the public transport utility has asked PMC and Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) to provide them at least 10 AC buses. The move is aimed at discouraging IT employees from using their private vehicles to travel to work.

“The PMC has made a provision of introducing a special bus service for IT employees. The civic body has also decided to upgrade Pune Darshan buses for tourists,” said Pravin Ashtikar, joint managing director of PMPML. He added that the transport utility is prepared to take up the job but the civic body should provide the buses for the purpose.

“A meeting was held with the civic administration to decide the specifications of the buses. The transport utility has put forth its demand,” said Ashtikar said. The faster the civic bodies provide buses, sooner the service can be launched, he said.

He said the air-conditioned buses will ply from various parts of the city to IT parks. “PMPML will charge more from commuters using the AC bus service.”PMC vehicle department incharge Kishore Pol said the idea behind launching a special bus service was to reduce traffic congestion on city roads.

Pol said there is a budgetary provision of Rs 4 crore for the special buses and Rs 1.6 crore for Pune darshan tourist buses.“There was a demand from IT companies to introduce a special service to Rajiv Gandhi Infotech Park at Hinjewadi. There is a traffic jam on the route daily as most of the employees prefer to travel to work by their vehicles,” he said.

Pol said specifications for the buses have been decided and a proposal to purchase the buses will be tabled in the civic body. The special buses will have facilities like LCD television, earphone, mobile and laptop charger, he said.