Leaking rooftops, potholes, damaged seats: What it is like to travel from an ST stand in Pune

Hindustan Times, Pune | ByDheeraj Bengrut

Aug 19, 2019 04:25 PM IST

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I frequently travel from the Swargate ST bus stand and there is a need to improve the maintenance here. Benches are broken and there is no cleanliness, says passenger

For passengers who usually take a bus from the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC)-run ST (state transport) bus stands in the city, leaking rooftops, damaged seats and huge potholes are a common sight. Hindustan Times, on Sunday, visited three major ST stands in the city located at Swargate, Shivajinagar and Pune railway.

At Swargate ST stand passengers sit on benches at their own risk. The metal benches are broken at multiple places. Footpaths are also damaged here and missing tiles make it difficult for passengers to mkee their way to the buses.(Rahul Raut/HT PHOTO)

Of the three ST bus stands, Swagrate was the most crowded. At least 100 buses ply daily from this MSRTC-run ST stand to Mumbai, Kolhapur, Solapur and Baramati, among other cities. At this ST stand, the metal benches, which are meant for the passengers, are broken. Not just that, the roof of the ST stand is leaking. Due to this, a passenger cannot take shelter under the roof, while s/he waits for the bus. The footpaths at the bus stand are damaged and pedestrians can slip due to the broken tiles. Autorickshaws are illegally parked inside the bus stand. They charge exorbitant rates and usually fight with each other over passengers, but there is no vigilance over it.

The main issue at the Shivajinagar bus stand is potholes. However, the Hirkani Kaksh (in pic), a separate room for breastfeeding , was locked. (Rahul Raut/HT PHOTO)

Shivaji Musale, a passenger who was travelling to Bhor from Swargate, said, “I frequently travel from the Swargate ST bus stand and there is a need to improve the maintenance here. Benches are broken and there is no cleanliness. Most importantly, there is a lot of mismanagement among the MSRTC staff and on many occasions I find that buses of a certain routine halt at a different platform.”

The situation at Pune railway station ST stand is a little better. However, as the metal benches are less in number with many of them broken, most of the passengers at this bus stand were seen sitting on the ground , while they waited for their bus. (Rahul Raut/HT PHOTO)

The condition is quite similar at the Shivajinagar ST bus stand. However, here, the main issue is potholes. The moment one enters this ST stand, all you can see is crater-like potholes. Passengers face difficulty while trying to make their way to the buses. Hirakani Kaksh- a separate room for breastfeeding, was locked.

Ganesh Kulkarni, a passenger at the bus stand, said, “MSRTC charges exorbitant fares from the passengers, yet the facilities at the bus stand are bad. The drinking water tap at Shivajinagar ST stand is always overflowing, potholes are there at every corner of the stand and we somehow have to manage to walk through it.”

The situation at Pune railway station ST stand was a little better. Though the stand has potholes and broken benches, the condition was not as bad as at the Shivajinagar and Swargate ST stands. Though the bus stand is small, the maintenance has not been done properly.

Sagar Bhave, a passenger at this bus stand, said, “I usually take the bus to Dadar from this bus stand. The bus station is good, but needs improvement. The drinking water facility and washrooms here are in a bad state.”

Yamini Joshi, MSRTC Pune divisional controller, said, “I am aware of the condition of these three ST stands. Shivajinagar ST stand will soon be shifted to a new place, as the current plot will be used for Pune Metro. The renovation and maintenance work of Swargate ST stand has been delayed by at least three years. The tender to renovate the Pune railway station ST stand has already been given and the repair work will start soon.”