Take the ’wait’ off our shoulders: passengers

Serpentine queues on weekends mean passengers have to wait at least two hours to get bus tickets; travellers say lavatories not clean enough

Take the 'wait' off our shoulders: passengers

Serpentine queues on weekends mean passengers have to wait at least two hours to get bus tickets; travellers say lavatories not clean enough

In the third installment of the series on the state-run Shivneri buses, MiD DAY again visited Swargate and Pune Station bus depots, this time to look at the facilities like seating arrangements, lavatories and serpentine queues that commuters often have to put up with.

This time however we must say that commuters gave some credit to the MSRTC services and rated them better than private agencies though there were many complaints too.

While seating arrangements at the depots were more or less satisfactory, serpentine queues especially on weekends was a big issue with regular travellers.

We spoke to a few commuters each from these depots and also took a look at the above facilities before gauging the travellers' response on the same.

Here's what we found.

At Swargate bus stand
The lavatory at the depot looked decent enough and was not emitting the unbearable stench that public toilets usually have. However, it was a bit messy as small pieces of construction material and plastic bags were lying around. The seating arrangement too looked decent and the queues were not long.

Two passengers on their way to Mumbai told MiD DAY that minor improvements were definitely needed with regards to the queues and restrooms.

Prasad Joshi (34), software professional, who travelled regularly from the city to Mumbai on weekends, said that the washrooms were frequently messy and needed regular cleaning.

"Clean toilets are a must, not only for AC bus passengers, but also regular ones since anyone will be put off by dirty and disgusting toilet facilities. I have not been able to use toilets sometimes even in an emergency as they were clogged or too dirty. However, the seating arrangements and waiting area is quite comfortable and spacious."

Another regular commuter Girish Kuber (50), who is a media professional, said that though he preferred to stick to the more reliable state-run Volvos rather than private buses, he wished that the weekend-wait for a ticket would take less time.

"On weekends the queues are long and we have to wait in the sun for hours. If this is the scene every weekend, they should increase the frequency of buses and more importantly have at least two counters for tickets. Besides that I think the washrooms also require a lot of cleaning," he said.

At pune railway station bus depot
At this depot, commuters complained that there were no toilets at all, forget about them being clean or messy.
When MiD DAY tried to look for one we could not find it either, but MSRTC officials insist that there is one on the depot. This means that the toilets are located in such an area that they are not accessible and there are no signboards to indicate its location. Sankalp Naik (24), a software professional, who has been working in the city for the past year and travels to Mumbai on weekends, said that he has not seen a toilet in the station ever.

"In fact, I have tried asking people too but nobody knew. Also the queues here are quite long on weekends and some extra buses should be kept for these days," he said.

A student Sachin Naik (28) said that though the online ticket reservation system was convenient, he wished something would be done to handle weekend rush and queues.

u00a0"An extra ticketing counter is required, as getting a ticket during peak hours can even take two hours sometimes. In three-and-half hours people reach Mumbai, but here it takes you more than half that time just to get a ticket. This wait is uncomfortable, as basic facilities like drinking water and toilets are absent," said Naik.