Commuters decry poor security & facilities at bus pick-up points

Pune: Paud Road resident Saurabh Gode recently boarded a private bus to Mumbai from the pick-up point at Chandni Chowk and was unhappy about the lack of facilities. "There was no proper seating arrangement, and the absence of safety measures was a point of concern," she said.
Like Gode, many commuters who travel from various points — for private as well as MSRTC buses — located at Katraj, Kharadi, Wagholi, Wakad, Warje and Nagar Road want upgraded security. Besides, they want proper sheds, a kiosk displaying emergency numbers, and police vigilance in late evening and night hours.
These points have been functional for the last few years, and a significant number of commuters board or get down from buses at these locations every day. Prachi Ingale, who often travels from Katraj, said though the initiative benefits many, there is still a lot of scope for commuter-centric amenities such as sheds or waiting areas. "Controllers for the buses are available in daytime, but there is no one at night."
Then there are problems like fleecing by auto drivers, inadequate lighting, and presence of illegal vendors, said Ajit Sanap. "Authorities should ensure monitoring and installation of CCTV cameras. Traffic police should act against private vehicles halting illegally and wrong-side driving. Private cars use these points to pick passengers for long-distance travel," Sanap, who recently used the Wakad point, said.
Local residents have been complaining about traffic snarls due to improper traffic management.
Private bus operators said they had instructed drivers not to drop passengers at random locations. Controllers are deployed at authorised pick-up points such as Nagar Road, Aundh, Wakad and Nigdi, MSRTC officials said and added that they had also set up sheds for commuters.