PMPML fare hike plan draws flak from NGOs

Activists representing 20 different NGOs have written to district collector Vikas Deshmukh who heads Regional Transport Authority (RTA) requesting him to reject the fare hike proposal passed by the Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited on Friday.

The NGOs have now united against the fare hike under the banner of PMT Bus Seva Bachao Abhiyan, will also stage a Bheek Mango Andolan in front of PMC.

Jugal Rathi of PMP Pravasi Manch said, "It is the responsibility of PMC and PCMC to provide citizens an affordable mode of transport. They are clearly running away from their responsibility."

"The hike will also send a wrong signal among commuters, which can result in an increase of private vehicles on city roads. On one hand there is talk of taking measures to curb pollution, on the other public transport is being made so expensive," Rathi added.

Activists have termed fare hike as "unjust." In the memorandum, signed by representatives of 20 city-based NGOs including PMP Pravasi Manch, Sajag Nagrik Manch, Nagrik Chetna Manch, Parisar, Lokayat, Pedestrian first, the activist have blamed mismanagement of the transport body by its management and negligence of the state government for it's current weak financial condition.

"There many other ways for PMPML to generate money rather than hiking fares. Recovery of money from recovery of rent of PMP property, recovery of police transport scheme and other concessional schemes has been pending", the letter read.

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