The PMC had lifted the tourist buses which violated the ban on parking at city roads. The corporation had for two consecutive days lifted over 20 buses following which the association members had filed the writ. The court had given an ad-interim order where the respondent (PMC) was restrained from taking any action of coercive nature, pending the hearing and final disposal of the petition.

Additional Municipal Commissioner Deepak Kapoor told media persons that the association's advocate today informed the corporation about the High Court's ad-interim order and cautioned that the breach of the same restrainment order would amount to contempt of court. Following which, the PMC decided to stop action against buses parked at city roads.

The PMC also took an undertaking from the Pune Bus Owners, Operators and Agents Association that the Rs 1,500 would be taken from the tourist buses as `removal' charges and not as the penalty imposed upon them earlier to claim their buses. Meanwhile, Mayor Dattatraya Gaikwad said that the meeting with the bus owners and operators would be held on Friday as scheduled.

In a statement issued here the president of the association Baba Shinde said that since August 12, 1994 the association had urged the Divisional Commissioner and other officials to hold talks for providing at least 12 pick-up points in the city.

Action had been taken without prior notice during 1995 and 1996 when the PMC had seized the tourist buses. The issue had been temporarily sorted with the State Transport Minister's intervention. Reiterating their demand, the association has urged the PMC to resolve the issue by providing 10-12 pick- up points at Shivajinagar, Swargate, Station, Omkareshwar, Yerawada, Kothrud, Satara Road, Parvati and others.

The Pune City Youth Congress also issued a statement today lauding the action taken by the PMC against such buses who violated the parking ban and further urged the civic administration to think twice before providing them alternative parking sites, failing which the organisation has threatened an agitation.