Pune: Public transport provider PMPML is likely to receive an infusion of 600 to 700 buses by the end of April this year, far less than 2,500 new buses promised by city MP Murlidhar Mohol last week, officials said.“While it is a fact that 2,500 buses are in the pipeline, the entire lot will not arrive so soon,” a senior Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Ltd (PMPML) official told TOI. PMPML’s public relations officer Kishor Chauhan, said of the promised 2,500 vehicles, 1,000 are part of the central government’s PM E-Drive scheme. “The tenders for these have only just been floated by the Centre, and they will take considerable time to arrive. What we can realistically expect are 160 e-buses, which should arrive by February or March,” Chauhan said. The transport body has also ordered 1,000 self-owned CNG buses from Tata Motors and Ashok Leyland. “Approximately 600 of these buses, manufactured by Ashok Leyland, are expected to be in service by late April or May. This will significantly boost fleet size and help commuters,” Chauhan added. Mohol, who is also the minister of state for civil aviation, had said that the new buses would result in PMPML’s fleet size increasing to around 4,000 and the number of routes increasing by an additional 100. Currently, PMPML has a total fleet of 1,988 buses, with roughly 1,600–1,700 operating daily across 394 routes. In 2025, PMPML added 400 CNG buses, but all were on contract basis. Of the current 1,988 buses, only 701 are owned by PMPML; the remaining 1,287 are provided by 11 different contractors. “Contract buses currently face the highest number of breakdowns, which is a major hassle for commuters,” said Pramesh Dande, a regular passenger. “Despite claims of oversight, monitoring seems inadequate. PMPML should have prioritised owning its fleet by now.” Civic activists dubbed the 2,500-bus claim as an “ambitious” campaign promise. Sanjay Shitole of the PMP Pravasi Manch noted that logistical hurdles were often underestimated. “Securing 2,500 buses in the next three to four months is an impossible task unless there is an unprecedented push from the state government,” Shitole said. “Furthermore, a previous order for 650 e-buses saw only 490 delivered, with the rest pending for over a year. PMPML currently lacks the required depot infrastructure to house and maintain such a massive influx of vehicles.”
