No power for PMPML staffers near PMC HQ

Pune: Employees of the Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited (PMPML) working in the area of the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) headquarters, which witnesses more than 2,000 bus trips each day, have been forced to work without electricity since around two months now.
While the construction of smart footpaths on the stretch between Dengle Bridge and Tilak Bridge resulted in the electricity connection here being disconnected, senior PMPML officials had no clue about the work conditions of their junior employees.“There is no electricity in the control room located in the PMC area near the bus shelters. Things have become increasingly difficult and working without electricity in the evening and at night is a major problem. We have to depend on our mobile phones for light after the sun sets,” a PMPML ticket checker told TOI.
The PMC area has around five to six bus shelters and 200-odd PMPML buses carrying out 10 times the number of rides. “This is the busiest area as far as PMPML operations go. Our job is to ensure that the buses leave on time and the drivers report to the control room before and after trips. For the last two months, there is no power in the control room. We have heard that the PMC is constructing smart footpaths in the area and hence, power has been disconnected. There are no streetlights either as a result,” another checker said.
Shrinivas Kandul, head of the electrical department at PMC, told TOI that there was no electricity here mainly due to Pune Metro work. He admitted to TOI, “Due to the construction, the electricity poles have been removed. We have spoken with Metro officials and have discussed a plan to provide temporary power in the area. We will do it soon.”
PMPML traffic manager Dattatray Zende told TOI, “We will immediately talk to officials on ways to sort out this problem,” he said.