Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Ltd (PMPML) public relations officer Subhash Gaikwad said fire extinguishers have been installed on 922 buses belonging to the transport utility. “Currently, PMPML is on its own running a fleet of 1,386. We hope that by the end of May, all PMPML buses will be equipped with the fire extinguishers,” he said.

The first half of the year had witnessed quite a few fires on the PMPML buses. The fact that many of these buses did not have the fire extinguishers invited flak from all quarters. Sources had said several buses without the extinguishers were fitted with the equipment whenever the vehicles were sent to the Regional Transport Office (RTO) for fitness certificates.

An official, who agreed to speak to TOI requesting anonymity, said, “It has to be admitted that the entire process of providing the buses with the fire extinguishers, had slowed down. The situation started looking up in the last few months.”

He added, “The fact remains that around 500 PMPML buses are still not equipped with the fire extinguishers. We must admit that this work should have been completed long back. But after recent reports criticizing PMPML, the process has picked up pace. A fire audit of PMPML has also been ordered.”

Transport activist Arvind Sathe said, “PMPML is saying that around 75% of its buses have fire extinguishers. But they are not looking at the fact that many buses are still operating without the equipment. It does not have much clues about the buses run by the private contractors. Besides, having a fire extinguisher on a bus is useless until the drivers or conductors know how to use them.”