The women’s wing of the Shiv Sena has strongly criticised the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) over the deplorable conditions at its bus stations, following a month-long survey triggered by a rape incident earlier this year at Pune’s Swargate depot.
Shiv Sena MLC Dr Manisha Kayande submitted a detailed report to Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik on Saturday, demanding urgent upgrades to passenger facilities and safety standards. The report is based on inspections of 87 MSRTC bus stations across 20 districts, conducted between February 5 and March 5 by the party’s Mahila Aghadi.
The study highlights widespread issues affecting women, children, senior citizens, and people with disabilities. It reveals that many stations lack clean and secure toilets for women passengers and female staff. Several existing facilities are in disrepair and largely unusable. The report also flags the absence of nursing rooms for lactating mothers and inadequate rest areas for women employees, impacting their safety and dignity at work.
The findings further expose serious gaps in basic amenities, including access to clean drinking water—many water purifiers were found either non-functional or unhygienic. For disabled passengers, the lack of ramps and railings at numerous stations presents significant accessibility barriers.
Poor lighting, inadequate CCTV surveillance, and insufficient police patrolling were cited as major safety risks, especially at night. The report calls for a statewide audit of lighting and security infrastructure at ST depots.
Importantly, the Mahila Aghadi also noted that most depots do not have internal committees to handle workplace harassment, and awareness signage is missing.
In response, Minister Sarnaik said tenders are being invited for new toilets and that the report will be reviewed for further action.
The Shiv Sena has urged immediate attention to these critical concerns to ensure safety and dignity for all MSRTC passengers.
Source: Hindustan Times
