The Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited (PMPML) will appoint these field officers to monitor and improve the transport system on these routes.“The intent is to address practical difficulties which commuters face while travel ing on the routes,“ Sunil Burse, deputy CEO of BRTS, said.
He was speaking at a programme organized by citizens’ group Sajag Nagrik Manch. Citizens questioned the way PMPML operated and also shared their experiences about bus journeys.
The problems included errant behaviour of the drivers and conductors, lack of proper timetable, poor condition of buses and low frequency .
The citizens also said that commuters faced hardships due to lack of traffic discipline and improper service.They demanded that a dedicated team of officers be available for constant interaction with commuters, where they will be able to share their experiences and problems.
“The PMPML’s administration will appoint field of icers to solve these problems. Daily checks and reporting will be the key roles of the officers. To start with, three officers will be appointed. The officers will monitor traffic wardens, status of bu ses, drivers’ behaviour, ticketing issues and other problems,“ he said.
Burse said a training programme for drivers and other BRTS staff has been organised. “The PMPML will have to rethink many aspects of the BRTS. There is scope for improvement. Despite the launch of new routes, the number of people using the service has not gone up dras tically. In fact, in the last cou ple of months, it has redu ced,“ said Jugal Rathi, foun der of PMP Pravasi Manch an organization for public transport commuters.
Three corridors have be en launched in Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad in the last three months. While the 7.1km route between Sang amwadi and Vishrantwadi is in Pune, the Sangvi Kiwale (14km) and Nashik phata Wakad (8km) is in Pimpri Chinchwad. Over 600 special Rainbow BRT buses with doors on both sides and more standing space, that ply in reserved lanes Pravin Ashtikar, joint MD of PMPML, said the transport body’s administration is looking into public queries. “The decline in the number of the citizens using PMPML is not new. It is a pattern. Every year, around Diwali and the festive season, a fall is seen. Many travellers are students who are on vacation. It leads to an overall or reduction in the number of people using public transport,“ he said.
About 50% of the drivers have completed their simulator training. Other training for behavioural issues has been carried out. More programmes are on the cards.PMPML drivers and those working with private contractor who have leased their buses to the utility will be trained.
Commuters have always felt that if only both the civic bodies plan the Bus Rapid Transit System for Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad down to the last detail will there be fewer hiccups in using the routes.
A haphazardly planned Katraj to Hadapsar route, hurriedly rolled out in 2007, not only cost the Congress the civic election, but also threw a spanner in the traffic flow, a mistake commuters paid for. There were fatal accidents and the route hardly served its purpose, till it merely became a dedicated bus lane.
Source : TOI
