The firm also wants that all advertisement sites be handed over to them immediately. According to Patil, these conditions were to be discussed at a meeting last week, but the meeting has now been postponed to next week.

When PMPML invited bids for its `buses for ads' proposal, it had pointed out that advertisements could be put on the interiors and the exteriors of the buses. It had also said that over 1,000 bus shelters were available for advertisements in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad. The number of bus shelters would later increase to 2,000 as many of them are to be installed on a build-operate-transfer basis.

The new bus shelters would have futuristic designs, it had said. PMPML authorities believe there is huge revenue potential through advertisements in Pune as PMPML is the only organisation which provides public transport in the city.`Bus fare hike is marginal'.

Despite several commuter organisations strongly opposing the proposed hike in passenger fares, PMPML managing director Subrao Patil justifies the hike, saying it is marginal. Patil said that an erroneous picture had been projected that the transport company's income would increase several times due to the fare hike.

"The fare hike ranges between Re 1 and Rs 6 for distance travelled up to 60 km. Considering the hike in fuel prices and other indirect financial burdens, PMPML's fare hike is marginal," he said.