Pune Metro - PMJA vs PMC

For the last few years, the Pune Metro and the Pune International airport plans had come be the forever unreal grape-wine of the city. Recent developments seemed to have fast tracked the Pune Metro progress. And as true for any government body, PMC is no different; thus the sudden fast tracking is bound to raise eye brows. These government babu's never push any plan unless they are personally benefited from it. Today the PMC is zealously trying to pass the plan.

Why? The entire Pune Metro Project is touted at Rs. 10,000 Crores. Aaa ha, that' sounds like reason enough to expedite the passing of the project.

PMJA (Pune Metro Jagruti Abhiyaan) is objecting the passing of this plan for various valid reasons. See details here.

Now PMC's scoop first. They think PMJA, which is a relatively small group of people; and a couple of other similar NGO groups comprise a very tiny and minuscule percentage of total Pune population. Thus PMC see's no reason to alter their plans for some insignificant percent of population who seem to be creating much of this fuss.

Well, Yes Mr. PMC. You are right. The reason is not that PMJA and other groups are a bunch of madmen with nothing better to do. Ironically, they represent those few members of the society who really seem to care for the well-being of the city. Majority of the literate population of the city is simply unaware of what the exact plan is. They seem to be living in a oblivion that one fine day, the Pune metro will suddenly be inaugurated and opened to public which will match the wonders of the London metro.

Mr. PMC is so lucky that these ignorant few literates are so busy in their lives, selfishly and shortsightedly accumulating their personal wealth, that they are least bothered of their responsibilities as conscious and aware citizens of the state. These literate fools seem to believe that the PMC, which is staffed with majority of people who are incapable of even reading this blog, are capable and the right choice to govern and guide the growth of the city.

As far as the illiterates of the city are concerned, well they are mere vote bank. So less said, the better.

PMJA's basic objection is that Mr. PMC has wisely decided not to share the Metro plan details with the public.

Not getting into the details of the plan; simple common sense is enough to suggest that PMC's Metro plan will turn out to be another half baked cookie. History repeats itself.

1) Most recently PMC was hell bent on creating a subway at the infamous Good Luck chowk. Thanks to those few aware and conscious citizen's this plan was proved to be half thought and thus right fully scrapped.

2) Look at the Pune BRT planning; it was another example of PMC's half thought out; hastily executed project. No wonder it was a failure.

3) Look at the numerous subway road crossing that have been built - at the Sassoon chowk, one at Nal stop or the one at Modern college. None of them are used as intended by the public to cross the streets. Discipline is the major reason. and citizens are rightly to be blamed. But what's the result. PMC wasted money in constructing them; and then later failed in enforcing the discipline.

4) Look at the high tech high-rise parking facility on JM road. how many have ever used it?

The list of PMC's failures can go on. But that's not the point.

What is the real problem - Bad public transport. Right?

Let us consider the IT hubs in the city where lakhs of individuals commute every day. Invariably almost everybody drives his or her car to the office. Consider Magarpatta or Hinjewadi. They both employ lakhs of individuals who drive their own vehicles.

A simple solution is for the PMT to start a good bus service from these two hubs. They could use nice AC buses with tickets two or three times the usual bus fare; maintain the buses in order. Today, every individual company runs its own bus service exclusively for their own staff. Now what is the need for that? Why can't an Infosys employee ride the bus with a Wipro or CTS employee? Leveraging is a good tool for cost reduction, and who knows it better than these corporates? And yet, no-one has implemented this solution.

All they need to do is to run buses at a greater frequency from these hubs throughout the city. This will have multifold benefits.
1) it will reduce # of private 4 wheelers plying on the streets, thus reducing the traffic.
2) reduce the air and sound pollution in the city
3) it will offer comfort to the individuals as they no longer need to drive hours every day
4) reduce the # of rapes that happen when these cab drivers ferry lone girls
5) will save precious natural resource - the fuel!

If it will offer so many advantages why is it that PMC & PMT have not yet implemented this solution? I guess that's where the corporate and politicians nexus comes into picture. This solution will be cheap; and if you implement a cheap solution, how will the selfish babu's get their chance at misappropriating a percentage of the funds for self enrichment.

All that the corporates and politicians are looking for is to source means of benefiting one-self's without caring about the society and its well being.