PUNE: Sudden heavy showers that lashed the city on Thursday exposed glaring gaps in preparedness of the Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Ltd (PMPML), with as many as 97 buses breaking down, causing widespread inconvenience to commuters.
According to official figures, the breakdown count came close to 100 in a single day, raising concerns over the transport body’s monsoon readiness. In comparison, during heavy rains in July 2024, PMPML had recorded 108 and 124 breakdowns on two separate days.Officials admitted they were caught unprepared. “The rains came suddenly and we didn’t expect them to be so intense. While buses are maintained regularly, the focus was mainly on summer conditions.
The downpour caught us off guard,” an official said.Passengers faced significant hardship as buses stalled mid-route in poor visibility and waterlogged conditions. Ashish Palkhe, travelling towards Wanowrie, described a distressing experience. “The bus suddenly stopped in heavy rain. Visibility was extremely low and we didn’t even know where we were for a long time. The driver later informed us of a technical issue.
We were stuck inside for nearly two hours as stepping out meant getting drenched,” he said. He added that the bus had halted near Camp, an area prone to tree falls during storms, heightening anxiety among passengers. “Once the rain reduced, we got down, but it took me another 45 minutes to find an autorickshaw due to traffic jams,” he said.Another commuter reported seeing multiple stalled buses along Tilak Road. “Waterlogging was severe on many roads.
While driving in such conditions is difficult, so many breakdowns raise serious questions about maintenance, especially with monsoon approaching,” the commuter said.Officials attributed the breakdowns to multiple factors, including water entering electrical circuits, severe waterlogging on roads, and poor road conditions leading to tyre punctures. “Some issues become unavoidable in such extreme conditions,” an official claimed.Transport activists, however, dismissed these explanations and criticised PMPML’s recurring failure to address the issue. “Every month we see similar breakdown numbers. This was just one day of rain. Why are they still making excuses instead of fixing basic issues?” asked Sanjay Shitole of PMP Pravasi Manch.PMPML operates a fleet of nearly 2,000 buses, and breakdowns have long remained a major concern. Despite repeated assurances, the frequency of such incidents has not significantly reduced, raising serious doubts about long-term maintenance and preparedness, especially ahead of the monsoon season.
