Breakdowns, non-functional ACs, broken charging ports: Inside PMPML’s upkeep problem

As Pune continues to promote public transport as a solution to rising traffic congestion and pollution, many PMPML commuters say the city’s bus service is struggling to meet passengers’ expectations. From frequent breakdowns and app payment issues to non-functional charging ports and poorly maintained AC services, daily travellers across multiple routes have highlighted a range of issues affecting their commute.

One of the most common complaints is the frequent breakdowns. Madhuri Netake, a regular commuter between Warje and Shivajinagar, says, “During very tight schedules, I cannot rely on PMPML, as many times I have seen buses break down. Even at times there are experiences of payment gateway failures or delayed ticket generation.”

Sashikant Sagvekar (48), who regularly travels between Alandi and PMC, said commuters are often forced to wait for long periods due to insufficient buses on the route. “The frequency of buses on the Alandi-PMC route needs to be increased. During peak hours, commuters are often left waiting for long periods. AC buses are also rarely available, making travel uncomfortable, especially in the summer,” he said.

Passengers have also raised concerns about the uneven distribution of electric buses. Satyam Suthare, a Class 12 student who travels between Bhugaon and Deccan, said EV buses are largely absent from his route. “Electric buses are hardly seen on the Bhugaon-Deccan route. PMPML should introduce more electric buses in this area so that students and daily commuters can benefit from a cleaner and more comfortable mode of transport,” he said.

Maintenance-related issues emerged as another major concern among commuters. Om Gaikwad, who commutes from Hadapsar to Deccan, said several facilities advertised by PMPML are often unavailable in practice. “The charging ports on buses do not work. The condition inside some buses is also poor, with dirty seats and even mosquitoes. At times, the AC remains switched off despite the bus being advertised as an AC service,” he said.

For working professionals who depend on public transport every day, punctuality remains a significant challenge. Siddhi Choukekar (27), who travels between SNDT and Swargate, said delays and overcrowding frequently disrupt her routine. “Punctuality is a major issue. Buses often arrive late, which affects office-goers and students. Overcrowding is another problem, and facilities such as charging ports and air-conditioning frequently do not function properly,” she said.

Story continues below this ad

Similar concerns were echoed by Puja Bhingare (33), who commutes between Deccan and Deshmukhwadi through an AC bus. According to her, overcrowding combined with malfunctioning air-conditioning creates an uncomfortable travel experience. “The charging points in AC buses are often non-functional, and overcrowding is common. The situation becomes worse when the AC stops working. Since the doors and windows remain closed, passengers are left travelling in extremely uncomfortable conditions,” she said.

Mahesh Awhad, the Chairman and Managing Director of PMPML, said, “PMPML has been continuously working for regular upkeep to bring breakdowns to at least minimum. But there are instances where we see them. Specific instructions have been given to private vendors as well, and we also penalise them. Around Rs 33 lakh was the penalty imposed in March, while Rs 42 lakhs in April this year amid recurrent breakdowns, and lower than this in May.”

“There are areas like cantonment boards, or near Sancheti hospital in Pune, where the network coverage is weak and due to this, there are instances of payment failures. We have asked the software provider for an audit to work on this and identified this problem occurring only due to network outage and not because of a software glitch,” he added.

“As per international norms, every lakh of population should be served by 60 buses. Pune’s population ranges between 1.03 and 1.04 crore, which means we ideally need 6,228 buses. We currently have a fleet of 1,961. In other words, we are running PMPML at roughly one-third of the required capacity,” he said.

Story continues below this ad

To bridge the shortfall of over 4,000 buses, Awhad has outlined a phased procurement plan. “A total of 1,500 new buses, comprising 1,000 owned by the organisation and 500 under the GCC (gross cost contract) model, will be added to the PMPML fleet by the end of 2026, lifting the total fleet size to around 4,500. Additionally, another 1,000 buses are set to join the fleet by 2027 under the central government’s PM e-Drive scheme,” he added.

Breakdown Data shared by PMPML

2024 Annual total:

– PMPML-owned | Private vendor

– 6,261 | 14,762

2025 Annual total:

– PMPML-owned | Private vendor

– 5,052 | 13,698

2026 till May:

– PMPML-owned | Private vendor

– 1,940 | 7,408

Private vendor buses accounted for 70% of all breakdowns in 2024 and 73% in 2025.

PMPML current bus fleet: 1961.