Pune rains: Passengers left confused at Swargate bus stand

File Photo

Heavy rains coupled with administrative mismanagement triggered chaos at the Swargate Bus Stand on Monday, leaving hundreds of passengers stranded and frustrated. The unexpected downpour, which began early in the morning, caused waterlogging in key areas of the bus terminal, compounding operational challenges already strained by a lack of coordination among officials.

The disruption led to the merging of buses scheduled at different times, resulting in overcrowding and confusion among commuters. Several passengers reported delays ranging from one to three hours, while others claimed they had to cancel or reschedule their travel plans altogether. "We had reserved three seats in the Swargate-Borivali Shivneri bus. While our seat numbers were 17,18 and 19, we were forced to sit on 35,37,40. For me, it's still okay. But my parents are old. We had only two options - either to assume these seats or wait and hope that the next bus comes with better seat options. But considering that already buses were already running late, we chose to go ahead with this uncomfortable journey. What's the point of reserving the seats, if ultimately we have to sit randomly," questioned Mihir Lad, who regularly travels from Pune to Mumbai.

Officials from the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) admitted that the situation had spiralled out of control due to poor planning and inadequate rain preparedness. "We do not know why the 6:30 am bus that goes to Mantralaya in Mumbai did not arrive at the depot today. We are still understanding the matter. Due to the delay, we had to merge 6:15 and 6:30 am buses - both heading towards Borivali from Swargate. We have made proper arrangements and passengers are being accommodated in different buses as per their timings. We are not taking spot passengers and first accommodating those who have reservations," said Swati More, a booking attendant at the Swargate Bus Depot.

In the absence of clear announcements or help desks, many elderly passengers were also left confused. "My sister and I had reserved seat numbers 7 and 8 on the 6:15 bus. But when we entered the bus that we were asked to get into, there was a lady already sitting on seat number 8, who also had a reservation. A young co-passenger luckily helped us understand the situation and spoke to the conductor on our behalf and helped us sort out the problem. But this is such an inconvenience to all passengers. We are senior citizens and so we ensure that we book our tickets prior to avoid any hassle. But if such miscommunications happen then what's the point," said 73-year-old Suhasini Shirke, a resident of Pune, who was visiting her daughter in Mumbai.

Also, the route had to be changed as both buses, though had Borivali as their destinations, were of two different routes. "One bus stops directly at Sion after the Toll and the other goes via Kharghar which is a bit longer route. Now those who had booked tickets for the 6:15 bus must take the longer route as there are passengers of the 6:30 bus also which I have to stop at multiple locations in Kharghar, Nerul," said the Shivneri bus driver.