All new buses in the city..

Volvos to drive city

Air-conditioned Volvo buses introduced by the Pune Municipal Corporation on a few city routes have generated enthusiastic response. Not only are fares the same as normal PMT buses, facilities like an in-built music system and kneeling mechanism in the Volvos are incomparable

Aditi Thirani

In an attempt to ease congestion on city roads and at the same time give public transport a boost, the Pune Municipal Corporation has introduced air-conditioned Volvo buses. The service which started on December 3 with a fleet of 10 buses has generated good response. The present routes - Swargate to Katraj, Swargate to Hadapsar and Katraj to Hadapsar - will be increased so that more areas are covered.

In fact PMT’s labour and public relations officer Vijay Pardeshi says, the concept of introducing luxury buses on short routes has been proved successful globally. "It is a huge undertaking and this is just the beginning with almost 70 per cent of the work remaining to be done." At present the buses cover a distance of between 5 to 15 km and inspite of the project being halfway from its completion point, it is generating tremendous response. And all this is because commuters are getting more value for money. The fares are the same as normal PMT buses, the facilities incomparable - fully air-conditioned with an inbuilt music system.

To ensure that routes are not clogged the PMT is making dedicated bus bays and hopes to achieve a frequency of one bus every 10 minutes. Buses have also been made keeping the comfort and convenience of handicapped persons and senior citizens in mind. Not only do these buses have reserved seats for the elderly, they also incorporate a system known as the ’Kneeling Mechanism’. This system enables a handicapped or an old person to board the bus without having to climb up or step down.

The bus can seat 38 passengers while 20 people can travel standing. The PMT proposes to take no more than 60 passengers per trip to ensure the bus is not over-crowded. The first bus will roll out at 6.30 in the morning and the last bus will go back at 10.30 pm. Passengers availing the service include residents of Katraj who are working in software firms in Hadapsar. According to Deepak Kapoor who works in a corporate at Magarpatta City, the bus is a boon. "I am very happy with the service. I no longer have to sweat it out while reaching office. Thanks to these Volvos, I have changed my opinion about Pune’s public transport," he says.

Others like him are also a happy lot. "If I can travel this way to the city, I will never feel the need of using my own vehicle," says Ashwin Chandok, who works in Hadapsar. The PMT feels this project will win over those who are shying away from public transport. "Good things take a while to come into effect. It is the cooperation of the people that will help us reap the benefits of this project. We see a successful future ahead," says Pardeshi.