Pawar issued the directives after a group of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) corporators met him and submitted a memorandum of demands regarding PMPML. BJP corporators Vikas Mathkari and Anil Shirole, who were a part of the group, later briefed reporters about it. MLA Girish Bapat and PMPML general manager Subrao Patil attended the meeting with Pawar, which lasted about half an hour.

Mathkari said, “Since the number of private vehicles is increasing at a fast pace, there is a need to strengthen the public transport system in Pune. Hence, instead of going slow on the inclusion of buses, the PMPML should recruit the necessary number of buses at one stroke. As per the recommendations of the Central Institute of Road Transport (CIRT), Pune city needs a fleet of 1600 buses. Therefore, PMPML needs to include the remaining buses within the next four months.”

Shirole said, “Ten months have passed since the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) has come to power. But nothing noticeable has been done to improve the public transport situation in the city. PMPML needs to include more buses into its service. But in stead of empty promises, there should be some time-bound programme.”

Replying to the demands made by the BJP corporators, Pawar directed Subrao Patil to procure the buses in the next four months through various means, which includes taking the buses on rent.