The statement came after a bus caught fire and was partially gutted on Pune-Solapur Road on Thursday evening. This was the first vehicle from the e-bus fleet of Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited (PMPML) to catch fire since operations began in 2019, the transport body said.
“Initial probe shows that the compressor at the rear end of the bus caught fire suddenly. It also indicates an electric short circuit, and investigations are underway. These also lead to the question of if the buses are being maintained properly,” PMPML chief engineer Ramesh Chavan said.
PMPML’s fleet includes 295 e-buses, and is expected to expand soon. “As per our contract with the private contractors, it is their job to maintain the buses. If one looks at figures over the last few months, buses belonging to private contractors have recorded more breakdowns than PMPML-owned buses,” another official said. “We are in talks with these contractors and will hold fresh discussions with Olectra. We may also conduct some random checks.”
Recently, transport utility officials said e-buses accounted for almost 50% of breakdowns every month because of various problems, including that of charging stations.
A senior official with Olectra said they were also investigating the fire. “It seems that there was an oil leak, which resulted in heat in the compressor, ultimately leading to the fire. No commuter sustained any injuries in the incident,” the official said.
“As far as maintenance of buses is concerned, we are alert and periodic maintenance is conducted after every 30,000km of operation,”the official added.
PMPML CMD Deepa Mudhol Munde did not answer calls or WhatsApp messages sent till the time of going to press.
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