Staff report working under constant fear, unsure whether they’ll make it home safe each day
A badly maintained staff office with chunks of ceiling plaster missing. PICS/SHRIKANT KHUPERKAR
Built to serve as a vital transport hub for the region, the Thane ST (State Transport) Bus Depot now stands as a symbol of shocking negligence, according to a mid-day report. The depot, used daily by thousands of commuters, is full of potholes, muck and crumbling infrastructure. The condition of the buildings that house the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) staff is even worse. Inside offices where important administrative work is carried out daily, ceilings are on the verge of collapse, with concrete slabs already giving way and steel rods exposed. Staff report working under constant fear, unsure whether they’ll make it home safe each day.
A person was cited in the report as saying the depot looks like it had been bombed. While locals said the depot is a ticking time bomb, an official claimed that repair work was scheduled to begin within the next 15 days. There must be a sense of urgency and quick action. There are so many staffers and passengers at the depot, and so many lives are at stake.
It should be unacceptable that employees fear for life and limb at a workplace. While there is danger of physical harm, these staffers will also see that their mental health is severely affected. Today, with the emphasis on mental health and the acknowledgement of the importance of mental health playing a huge part in overall well-being, employees must be given a safe, clean environment to work in. Otherwise, it is certain to affect the quality of work by these staffers.
Decision-makers must now ensure there is no passing the buck. We cannot, as is tiresomely and sometimes tragically familiar, merely react to a disaster. The ticking time bomb is no hyperbole. It is reality. Defuse the situation by carrying out repairs in double quick time. If people need to be shifted, move on that, too.
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