Transport utility’s survey gets lukewarm response   PUNE: The Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation’s (MSRTC) plan to introduce women-only special Volvo buses on the Pune-Mumbai route has received lukewarm response from women commuters.   The MSRTC had issued a circular in March this year, announcing its intention to start special women-only Volvo buses from Shivajinagar, Swargate and Pune Station depots.   The managers of the three depots were asked to conduct surveys to seek opinion of women commuters on the issue.   Shivajinagar senior depot manager S R Burande said that the MSRTC had prepared a questionnaire, seeking views of women commuters to know whether such a special bus was needed and the suitable timings, facilities needed, suitable places of halts, etc.   “For this purpose, we kept feedback boxes at the three MSRTC depots in the city.

LONAVLA: A gang of armed robbers, which had attempted to rob truck drivers on the Pune-Mumbai highway late on Tuesday night, successfully resisted attempts of police personnel to nab them and escaped after snatching away service pistol of a Sub-Inspector.   The incident took place at a poultry farm located at Shilatane, Maval. The chase by the police team proved futile as the robbers fired shots and fled towards a nearby mountain. No police personnel was injured in the incident.   Police teams on Wednesday launched a hunt to nab the robbers and to secure the stolen pistol, but were not successful.   The Lonavla rural police station was alerted that a gang of robbers was looting truck drivers on the Pune-Mumbai highway.   Police Sub-Inspector Nitin Thakare rushed to the spot along with a team. The robbers, however, attacked the police personnel with stones. PSI Thakare attempted to fire from his pistol.

PUNE: ‘Unite and fight’ was the message given by Magsaysay award-winning RTI activist Arvind Kejriwal to   residents of the Empire Estate housing society, who are opposing the proposed flyover to come up through their society located near the Pune-Mumbai highway at Chinchwad.   The residents, who have termed the proposed project as ‘unnecessary’ and have expressed apprehensions about increase in noise and air pollution due to construction of it, held a joint meeting on Wednesday evening that was addressed by   Kejriwal, PCMC corporator Maruti Bhapkar among other activists.   “Kejriwalji urged residents that they should not give up to the administration and wage a democratic battle in support of their demand,” Empire Estate housing society chairman Santosh Pingle told Sakal Times. Estimated to cost Rs 99 crore, the construction of the proposed flyover will be financed by a loan from the World Bank.

PIMPRI: Two youths were killed on the spot after their two-wheeler dashed against railings on the Pune-Mumbai highway at Kasarwadi after midnight on Monday.   The deceased were identified as Ranjit Barnawal, 25, of Khandoba Mal in Bhosari, and his cousin Deepak Gupta, 28 of Hadapsar. Ranjit was a transport operator, while Deepak was a three-wheeler tempo driver. The accident occurred, when they were on their to Bhosari. Ranjit was identified through his driving licence.

PIMPRI: A 27-year-old two-wheeler rider died on the spot in an accident near the Haffkine Institute in Pimpri on the Pune-Mumbai highway on Sunday night.   The deceased was identified as Sandeep Gunjal, a resident of Chinchwad. According to a complaint registered by Pimpri police station.   Gunjal was proceeding towards Pune on a moped when a truck (MH 06 KA 2995) hit him from behind. Gunjal who fell on the road was immediately crushed to death under the tyres of another unidentified vehicle.   Police have lodged a case against the truck driver and the unidentified vehicle.