Pune: The Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited (PMPML) has decided to resume its bus services within the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) Jurisdiction from May 26. However, only 25 per cent of buses will start running initially. More buses will be pressed into service if demand increases.

Both cities have been under the lockdown since March 25 due to the coronavirus pandemic. The PMPML is running only essential services. The authorities are running only 120 buses on 50 routes.

“We have decided to run only 25 per cent of buses within the PCMC jurisdiction. Later, we will run 30 per cent, then 50 per cent as per the commuters’ demand. As the buses will start running, we will follow the guidelines of social distancing. So, there will be staff deputed at bus stops to ensure that passengers are following the guidelines and using masks,” said PMPML Joint Managing Director Ajay Charthankar.

“This is decided to run the buses within the PCMC jurisdiction. These buses will ply between PCMC and Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC). Initially, only 50 buses will ply and each bus will have half of the occupancy on every trip,” he added.