With Maharashtra’s board exams beginning this week, the Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited (PMPML) has rolled out a set of special travel arrangements aimed at making daily commuting easier for students appearing for the SSC and HSC exams.
Pune Announces Special Travel Support Ahead Of Board Exams
The Class 12 Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) examinations start on February 10, while the Class 10 Secondary School Certificate (SSC) exams are scheduled to begin on February 20. According to Hindustan Times, recognising the pressure and time sensitivity that comes with board exam mornings, PMPML officials said the initiative is meant to ensure students can reach their centres smoothly, without any extra travel stress.
A key part of the announcement is that students who already hold valid PMPML bus passes will be allowed to travel between their homes and examination centres throughout the exam period without having to buy separate tickets. The relaxation is expected to reduce last-minute confusion and help students avoid delays caused by ticketing queues or overcrowded buses.
In another important step, PMPML has temporarily permitted SSC and HSC examinees to board buses from the front entrance during the examination schedule. This measure, officials said, is designed to save valuable time during peak commuting hours, especially on routes where buses tend to fill up quickly in the morning.
To ensure that the facilities work on the ground and not just on paper, PMPML will also deploy supervisory staff and officers at busy bus stops across the city. Their role will be to manage crowds and make sure students travelling for examinations are given priority access.
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All You Need To Know
The transport body has also appealed to schools and management to coordinate in advance. Officials noted that if schools inform PMPML about areas where a large number of students are expected to travel from, additional buses can be arranged on those routes to manage demand and prevent overcrowding.
A senior PMPML official urged students and parents to make full use of these facilities, calling it a small but necessary intervention during one of the most significant phases of a student’s academic journey.
The announcement has been welcomed by students, many of whom say that commuting during board exams often becomes an added source of anxiety.
“During board exams, every minute matters, and buses are often overcrowded,” said Riya Deshmukh to Hindustan Times. She is a Class 12 student appearing for the HSC examination.
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With thousands of students set to travel across Pune over the coming weeks, PMPML’s move is being seen as a practical step toward easing exam-day pressure and ensuring safer, more reliable public transport access for young commuters.
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