Honesty Takes a Last Seat in PMPML Pune: We read stories of honesty in newspapers. People express gratitude to honest auto drivers, police felicitates honest members of society who help them nab thieves, bankers are thankful to those who return excess money. But when it comes to Pune Municipal Transport, PMPML, honesty takes a last seat.
While commuting in Pune public transport, I found a a rupee five hundred note lying on bus floor. Sense of honesty prevailed and the issue was brought to the notice of bus conductor. Both of us decided to hand over the currency note to traffic controller (TC) office at Congress Bhawan Pune and I obtained an acknowledgement from conductor and TC. This incident happened on May 31, 2005. Thereafter I made a follow-up with main office of Pune Municipal Transport to ascertain that found currency note was accounted properly but couldn't get satisfactory response. Finally I moved an application under right to information (RTI Act 2005) and sought information from Pune Municipal Transport to provide copy of lost and found register. PMPML office supplied information vide letter number PMPML/ ADM / Mahiti Adhikar dated December 13, 2007 that currency note found entry has been made in lost and found register. Entries like conductor number, bus route, bus number, date, time, report number, date of filing report and description of article like note number is available in the information supplied by PMPML. There is no mention of person who found it. My friends and colleagues laughed at me when I returned a five hundred rupee note to transport authority. Forget appreciation letter, thank you note or certificate of honesty, transport authorities apathetic attitude towards honesty compelled me to spend more on correspondence, RTI application and postage to ascertain facts of matter. However, PMPML officer was extremely courteous and acknowledged the suggestion of incorporating thank you notes to honest commuters of Pune municipal transport. ~ Avinash Murkute, Pune.
