“Pune Transport System Set for Growth Planning”, Informs Minister of State Madhuri Misal

Pune, 10th April 2026: “The state has begun transport growth planning for Pune, covering Pune, Pimpri-Chinchwad, and the PMRDA region, with proposals for transport hubs, truck terminals, and EV charging infrastructure, said Madhuri Misal. She was speaking at the launch of Prasanna Purple’s first private electric bus service on the Pune–Mumbai route.

The program held at Prasanna Purple’s office at Sangamwadi was attended by Switch Mobility CEO Sukanta Sahu, RedBus CEO Prakash Sangam, Pune District Luxury Bus Association President Balasaheb Khedekar, Ajay Khedekar, Prasanna Purple Chairman and Managing Director Prasanna Patwardhan, Directors Saurabh Patwardhan, Harshwardhan Patwardhan, and others. During the program, 10 electric buses were inducted into passenger service from today. All these buses belong to Switch Mobility company and will run on the Pune–Mumbai–Pune route. Through this, Prasanna Purple has become the first private bus operator to provide bus service using electric buses.

Madhuri Misal said that both central and state governments are taking steps to improve public transport by giving subsidies for buying vehicles, building infrastructure, and working with private companies through Public-Private Partnerships (PPP). She informed that the state plans to buy 3000 electric buses. However, there have been delays in getting the delivery from the manufacturers. She pointed out key challenges such as lack of charging stations and maintenance issues, which have slowed down the pace of use of electric vehicles in Maharashtra. She said the government is working at all levels to fix these problems and improve the transport system.

Misal added that the government is now more open to working with the private sector, and PPP-based projects like the metro are doing well. Similar models may be used for electric vehicles too. Finally, she mentioned a ₹14,000 crore “Patal Lok” project to improve Pune’s transport and urged citizens to use public transport more.

Prasanna Patwardhan in his introductory speech, said that in India, bus travel carries the highest number of passengers around 40 crore everyday. Despite this, bus transport does not receive the importance it deserves. He added that a country’s progress is closely linked to the strength of its transport system and stressed the need to prioritize buses. He further pointed out that nearly 60% of India’s foreign exchange is spent on petrol, diesel, and other petroleum products, making a shift towards electric mobility essential. In this context, he described the launch of the private electric bus service as a positive first step.

Patwardhan also highlighted that if oil supply is disrupted, cities, industries, and transport systems come to a halt. Therefore, the country should make better use of the electricity it already has. He noted that only 65% of electricity is currently utilized, while 35% goes to waste in the night time since it does not get utilized and the electric buses get charged during the night time only. So, the use of electric buses will also help utilizing this unutilized electricity.

He further added that to successfully implement electric mobility, the government must ensure the availability of vehicles, financial assistance, and necessary infrastructure. He also advised private organizations to make use of government subsidies to support the transition. He opined that developed countries invest more in public buses and restrict private vehicles, but India is doing the opposite, private vehicles move freely while buses are limited. He said this must change to increase the number of public buses and stressed the need for better last-mile connectivity and suggested building central bus terminals, common charging facilities, and dedicated bus terminals.

“Considering the transport and other problems in the country, sending our children abroad is not the solution. Instead, we must think about what steps we can take to change our country. We should also consider what we can contribute to society through our businesses”, said Saurabh Patwardhan.