PMPML 500 New CNG Buses by November-End: Fleet to Cross 2,400 After Door and Leak Defects Are Fixed

Pune, 15th November 2026: PMPML expects 500 new CNG buses to join its fleet by the end of November, taking the number of buses on Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad roads from 1,961 to about 2,461. The buses are being built by Tata Motors, and PMPML has asked the company to fix defects found during a pre-delivery inspection.

Of the 500 buses, 400 will be owned by PMPML and 100 will be run by contractor Balaji, Punekar News reported.

What defects PMPML found in Lucknow

A team of PMPML officials went to Lucknow to inspect the buses before handover. According to reports in Punekar News and The Free Press Journal, they found problems with:

• the support structures near the front and rear doors
• welding joints
• gaps in some sections of the body tubes
• water leaking above the BRT-side doors and around the door glass, found in a water test

PMPML Chief Engineer Narayan Karde said the inspection team had told Tata Motors about the issues and asked for them to be fixed before the buses are handed over, the reports said.

Safety features each new bus must have

Before PMPML accepts the buses, Tata Motors must install sensors on both main doors, the reports said.

Each bus must also have working IP-based rear-view cameras, dashcams, digital destination boards and a vehicle tracking system. The tracking system is what feeds live bus locations to apps, so working units matter for anyone who checks bus timings on their phone.

How big the PMPML fleet will be

PMPML now runs 1,961 buses. Of these, 684 are its own and 1,277 are run by contractors. Adding 400 owned buses would raise PMPML’s own fleet to 1,084, and the total to about 2,461 once all 500 are on the road.

PMPML Chairman and Managing Director Mahesh Awhad said the new buses would strengthen passenger services and add capacity, the reports said.

Where the new buses could run

PMPML has not yet published a route list for the new buses. Its recent route changes give some idea of where demand is.

On 4 November, a day after Metro Line 3 opened, PMPML started 11 new feeder routes and extended one more, with 25 buses running 620 trips a day, Pune Pulse reported. These link Hinjewadi Phase 2 and 3, Maan, Tathawade and Punawale to Line 3 stations. See our Pune Metro timings and fares guide for the Metro side of those trips.

Long cross-city routes such as Hadapsar to Hinjewadi, Katraj to Nigdi and Wagholi to Swargate are among those that would gain from more buses, but PMPML has not said how the 500 will be split.

Fares and passes stay the same

The new buses do not change fares. Daily passes, monthly passes and the 50% concession for senior citizens apply on all PMPML buses.

What is still not known

PMPML has not said which depots will get the buses, whether any are air-conditioned, or how many will be on the road by 30 November if defect repairs take longer. We will update this story when the first buses are handed over.

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