6 days Ago
Pune: A swanky AC coach or a ramshackle carrier, the life of most "happy-go-lucky" PMPML bus commuters remains confined to the daily grind amid all the poll blitzkriegs. Their hopes revolve around reaching the destination safely on time in pocket-friendly but never-so-punctual PMPML buses. "A day pass of Rs40 will take you to anywhere in Pune civic limits, provided you have a valid Aadhaar.
Another Rs10, and Pimpri Chinchwad will also be within your reach for the day. A monthly pass of Rs900 is valid in any area of a civic body and Rs1,200 for both. But the challenge remains reaching ‘the place' on time," smirks Ashish Sharma, a resident of the NIBM area and voter of Purandar Assembly constituency.
Polls come and go, regimes change, but the bus commuters' pain barely heals in Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad. Midway snags, long waits and the resultant rush stay on. "Our jostle for space in buses will continue irrespective of whether Sambhaji Zende of NCP or Vijay Shivtare of Shiv Sena or Sanjay Jagtap of Congress goes to the assembly from Purandar.
See how I have clung on to my friend (Sharma) to keep my balance because the overhead ‘cuff' is broken," laughs Suresh Botekar, an office assistant of a private firm, in a loaded 291 bus on Katraj-Hadapsar route, as the driver applies brakes a few metres ahead of Fatimanagar Chowk under Hadapsar constituency to save a driver on the wrong side. Chetan Tupe of NCP is in fray against Prashant Jagtap of NCP (SCP) in Hadapsar. A woman almost slips off stairs while getting on to a Hadapsar-Aundh bus (148 via Pune station and Bombay Sappers) as its rear wheel bounces off a pothole a few metres after the Racecourse.
A co-passenger lends a helping hand to pull her up. "Lucky escape. No one cares about passengers.
The lone conductor of a bus remains busy collecting fares. It has been like this and will remain so in future," says domestic help Prativa Mane from Camp under Pune Cantonment constituency, where Ramesh Bagwe of Congress will lock horns with BJP's Sunil Kamble. Passengers' patience test starts near the rotary, leading to the new Bund Garden bridge and Yerawada.
"The situation worsens in the evening and turns the worst in the rainy season. No politician has kept the promise of easing the traffic flow on the stretch. Does my vote really matter to Bapu Pathare of NCP (SCP) or NCP's Sunil Tingre?" wonders Praveen Bhosale, a sales executive of an electronics gadgets' showroom and a voter of Wadgaon Sheri assembly constituency.
The bus passes by the historic War Cemetery and goes dead. "All vacate the vehicle, barring children, women and senior citizens," says bus conductor Aftab Haque, like a war cry. Some enthusiastic commuters give the vehicle a push.
The bus starts on the fourth attempt and the journey to Aundh resumes. "This is life on a PMPML bus," says high school teacher Aneesha Deopujari from Khadki with a smile. Cut to the main gate of SPPU.
A student from the Northeast runs towards an AC bus and comes back nodding his head. He finally gets into one to the Pune Municipal Corporation after three futile attempts. "I can't decipher Devanagari script.
So, identifying the right bus is a big challenge," says Karma Thapa after settling down in the AC bus and breaks into laughter. The bus brakes in chock-a-block traffic near Sancheti Hospital. A septuagenarian steps on a wet mat.
Thapa saves him from the fall. "See, the water is leaking from AC ducts and so the mat is wet. The introduction of AC coaches is a good move, but their upkeep should be better," says Pradeep Gokhale, the elderly man from Shivajinagar, where Congress candidate Dattatray Bhairat is sitting BJP MLA Siddharth Shirole's challenger.
Good day my boy!" the elderly man tells Thapa before getting down from the bus. Both exchange smiles..
