Pune, September 14, 2025: Maharashtra’s Higher and Technical Education Minister Chandrakant Patil on Sunday announced the launch of a free shuttle bus service aimed at improving last-mile connectivity for metro commuters in the Kothrud area.
The shuttle service, which will run daily in two time slots, from 8:30 AM to 1 PM and from 4 PM to 8 PM, was inaugurated in the presence of Shravan Hardikar, Managing Director of Pune Metro, and Chandrakant Patil. The designated route will cover key locations, including Rajaram Bridge, Malve Chowk, Vandevi, Karvenagar, Dahanukar, Karve Statue, Karishma Chowk, and SNDT.
“This initiative is intended to make daily commuting more convenient for Kothrud residents and encourage the use of metro services,” Patil said at the launch event. He also urged citizens to make full use of the facility.
In addition to the shuttle service, plans to introduce a rickshaw service for metro commuters were also announced to further enhance passenger volume and last-mile access.
Prominent attendees included BJP Pune City General Secretary Puneet Joshi and Viththalanna Barate, along with several local leaders and dignitaries such as Pune District Planning Committee Member Sandeep Butala, BJP Kothrud South Mandal President Kuldeep Sawalekar, Constituency Coordinator Navnath Jadhav, former Municipal Councillors Deepak Pote, Madhuri Sahastrabuddhe, and Jayant Bhave, as well as Manjushree Khardekar, Vrishali Chaudhari, and Keshav Kshirsagar of the Rickshaw Union.