Pune, 27th July 2026: The Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Ltd. (PMPML) has urged the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) to hand over 24 reserved plots from the city's Development Plan (DP) to build new bus depots, as the transport utility prepares to induct nearly 2,000 new buses into its fleet.
PMPML currently operates around 1,900 buses. However, the lack of adequate depot space has forced many buses to be parked along roadsides, affecting regular maintenance, repairs, and safe parking.
With another 2,000 buses expected to be added in the coming years, the shortage of depot infrastructure has become a major operational challenge.
During a special meeting, PMPML Chairman and Managing Director Mahesh Awhad said that the city's Development Plan has 32 plots, covering nearly 90 acres, reserved for PMPML depots. He requested that 24 of these plots be acquired and transferred to PMPML at the earliest.
He added that since most of the reserved land is privately owned, PMC should either acquire the plots and hand them over to PMPML or provide the required funds for land acquisition so that new depots can be developed without delay.
During the discussion, former Leader of the House Dheeraj Ghate sought details about the present status and utilisation of the reserved plots. Leader of the House Ganesh Bidkar stated that the authority to acquire Development Plan land rests with the municipal corporation and suggested that the administration prepare a detailed report on all reserved sites before taking a final decision.
Accepting the proposal, PMC Commissioner Naval Kishore Ram directed the civic administration to submit a comprehensive report within 30 days, following which a joint meeting between PMC and PMPML will be held to decide the next course of action.
