PMC’s standing committee chairman admitted that it will be difficult for the civic body to start bus operations on Alandi Road and Ahmednagar BRTS corridors by March 1.
PMPML Chairman and Managing Director of Pune Mahanangar Parivahan Mahamandal Ltd (PMPML) on Tuesday had a meeting with standing committee members on various issues of PMPML, including BRTS operations.
It will be a difficult task for PMC and PMPML to start the operations before the deadline. The process for installation of the equipment under the Intelligent Traffic Management System (ITMS) will take time. He said that, PMPML has now floated tenders for ITMS project and it will take time to finalise the bidders.
The delay was due to the fact that the PMC failed to finalise things about the BRTS project on those two corridors in the last one-and-half years for various reasons.
It was during November last year that the civic body announced to start operations on March 1, 2015, after and Municipal Commissioner made ground inspections of the two corridors.
He admitted that the PMC has taken lot of time to approve funds for ITMS project. This has affected the tendering process for ITMS gadgets. Hence, we will miss the deadline of March 1. Bus operations on BRTS corridors cannot start without ITMS in place.
When contacted, he maintained that he has told the standing committee that operations on BRTS corridors can start only after all the infrastructure is in place. Once both PMC and Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation set up all infrastructure needed for bus operations, PMPML will start operations within 15 days.
PMPML sources said that PMPML has apprised the PMC that the work of bus terminals for BRTS, elevated crossings near bus stops and traffic signal system are yet to be completed. A PMPML officer said that all these tasks shall take at least one and half months more. Naturally, bus operations cannot start on March 1.
Source: Sakaaltimes, Jan’15
