In a classic case of civic apathy wrapped in bureaucratic red tape, a brand new mobile toilet installed at the bustling Panvel Bus Stand a month ago remains locked and entirely unusable, reportedly because local authorities are yet to formally “inaugurate” it. Meanwhile, the essential workers this unit was meant to serve — Navi Mumbai Municipal Transport (NMMT) bus drivers and conductors — are left with no space on the premises to answer nature’s call. 

During a spot visit to the bus depot, the mobile unit was seen padlocked from the outside. With no other functional restroom available on the immediate premises, transport staff are forced to walk to the nearby Panvel railway station.