India, July 10 -- The Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Ltd (PMPML) has promoted around 175 drivers to the post of ticket inspector, effectively doubling its inspection staff.

The decision comes in the wake of PMPML inducting a large number of contractor-operated buses into its fleet, where both drivers and conductors are provided by the contractors themselves, said officials.

Currently, PMPML operates around 1,650 buses across Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad, carrying nearly 10 lakh passengers daily.

Until now, only 160 ticket inspectors have been deployed to check for fare evasion across various routes. Passengers found travelling without valid tickets are fined Rs.500. However, with the recent influx of 400 new buses under a private con...