PUNE: Solapur resident Rajendra Pawgi was visibly happy, as he alighted from an MSRTC bus at Swargate depot on Monday morning.
“I was waiting for the bus services to resume, so that I could come to Pune and re-join work.
The restaurant where I work starts dine-in service and I cannot wait to work again.
The last two months were terrifying and I hope this is and to it,” Pawgi, who works as a server at a restaurant in Shivajinagar, told TOI.
Sashvat Vinze was headed for Mumbai to resume work.
“I feel even trains should have started.
Trains are more economical means of transport,” Vinze said.
As reported by TOI, the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) and Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited (PMPML) had started operations on Sunday, though to a cold response, after a gap of over two months.
Officials of both the transport utilities said the response to their service was much better on Monday.
Though the usual crowd at the Swargate bus terminus was missing, an official of the state transport body told TOI that the overall passenger traffic on Monday was decent.
The authorities expect the number of passengers and buses on roads to go above 50% by the end of the week.
“Buses from Pune are transporting passengers to all districts.
From Tuesday, the advance booking system will also start.
The maximum number of buses are plying on the Mumbai-Solapur routes,” an MSRTC official said.
The PMPML operated 416 buses across 179 routes in the city on Monday.
“The passengers’ response was good and we expect it to improve in the days to come.
By next week, there will be more buses on the roads,” a senior PMPML official said.