While delays may be inevitable because of the unexpected amount of rain, the reported absence of clear announcements or help desks made matters worse
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Every monsoon disruption teaches citizens and the authorities many lessons. Prime amongst some is the value of communication in times of a crisis. On Monday, mismanagement triggered chaos at the Swargate bus stand in Pune, leaving passengers stranded and frustrated.
An 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, delays and cancellations. While delays may be inevitable because of the unexpected amount of rain, the reported absence of clear announcements or help desks made matters worse.
One can also understand route changes or other tweaks necessitated by the weather. One cannot comprehend, though, the absence of a clear line of communication. Announcements made clearly at regular intervals assuage anxiety and lead to a dial down in frustration and confusion.
When there is communication over a working, high-tech address system where the correct information is relayed in a professional manner, people know what to expect, and they are less agitated. Silence, garbled announcements, no clear chain of command and cluelessness aggravate difficult experiences. When people who are already on edge feel helpless, things can spiral out of control very fast.
While this space is using the Swargate incident as a springboard for the argument, it is vital that announcements and spot-on information are available and at public commuting spaces. Also, at the newly opened Metro stations on the Aqua Line. Help desks are fully functional with ‘helpful’ not ‘clueless’ personnel.
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