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Public Transportation Guide: How to Get Around Pune Like a Botanist Who Missed the Last Bus

@Sarah Bloom2/7/2026blog
Public Transportation Guide: How to Get Around Pune Like a Botanist Who Missed the Last Bus

look, navigating Pune's streets isn't about speed-it's like studying emergent plant behavior. you gotta observe patterns in the chaos. right now the sky's the color of over-steeped green tea leaves, and if you squint at traffic near FC Road, you'll spot *chhapris (those six-seater rickshaws) blooming like invasive species.


start with PMPML buses if you wanna feel the city's pulse. their routes look like root systems gone feral. got tipped off from a dude selling marigolds outside Shanipar:
"bus 103 goes from Swargate to Chandni Chowk smelling like someone's grandma's spice cabinet-75% chance the AC works." fares? dirt cheap. 15 rupees gets you across town if you're patient enough to watch two generations grow old en route.

people walking on sidewalk during daytime


heard this gem from auto-wallahs playing carrom near Saras Baug:

> "metro construction ate 11,000 crore rupees and 8 years of our sanity. use it between PCMC and Vanaz unless you enjoy concrete labyrinths"

but here’s my fieldwork: bikes win. Yulu and Bounce electric scooters cluster near colleges like Fergusson. 5 rupees/minute lets you weave through Koregaon Park’s gulmohar-lined streets. dangerous? monsoon potholes become carnivorous plant traps-ask any local about that time BMWs sprouted from craters on Boat Club Road.

cars on road between green trees under white cloudy sky during daytime


insider dirt:
shared cabs*. find them festering outside railway stations like fungal networks. 50 bucks gets you to Kothrud faster than you can say "photosynthesis," but check r/Pune for real-time rip-off alerts.

> "avoid Wakad after 9pm unless you enjoy playing frogger with truck convoys" - drunk architect at Peppa Zin

stats disguised as bar stool wisdom:
- auto-rickshaw meters? mythical creatures. barter skills essential
- PG rent near IT parks? 15k/month for shoeboxes with "jungle view" (read: one dying ficus)
- safest rides? women-only buses with neon pink stickers peeling off

when the Petri dish of urban planning overwhelms you, Mumbai’s 3 hours southwest drowning in its own microbes, or vanish into the Western Ghats where actual plants reign. pray your Ola driver knows Magarpatta City isn’t a botanical garden despite the name.


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About the author: Sarah Bloom

Collecting ideas and sharing the best ones with you.

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