Mira Bhayandar: Despite being one of the busiest originating points for state transport (ST) buses in the region, its lone control room-cum ticket booking centre near the railway station in Bhayandar (west) paints a sorry picture of utter neglect and apathy by the state government authorities.

The single storey structure in question which is a Mira Bhayandar Municipal Corporation (MBMC) owned property had been rented out to the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) more than two decades ago.

With peeled-off plasters on the ceiling and toilets sans doors, the control room which houses the ticket booking office and rest room for drivers and conductors is in an extremely dilapidated condition, putting at risk lives of staffers and approaching commuters.

Mira Bhayandar's ST Bus Depot, declared unsafe by MBMC, with the proposed terminal project stalled in red tape

“Huge chunks of plaster and cement from the ceilings have been crashing down at regular intervals, exposing the corroded reinforced metal bars. Due to the looming threat, we prefer to take rest inside a bus rather than spending time in the restroom.” said a driver requesting anonymity.

Deprived of even basic facilities including pure drinking water, lack of proper enquiry counters, urinals, the authorities are yet to construct proper sheds or stands, thus forcing commuters to brave the weather. Be it the scorching heat or the rains, commuters have to stand in self-formed queues amidst bustling vehicular traffic along the main road.

“All hopes are now on the newly appointed Transport Minister-Pratap Sarnaik who is also the legislator from the adjacent assembly constituency and has been active in enhancing the infrastructure of the twin-city.” said a regular commuter-Francis Almeida. Notably, MBMC’s public works department had officially tagged the structure as dangerous and unfit for use in 2020.

Proposed Bus Terminal Stuck in Red Tape

Proposed Bus Terminal Stuck in Red Tape.

More than 20 years since the MSRTC acquired a 2-acre plot adjacent to the control room and depot for setting up its state-of-the-art bus terminal, the much-needed facility is far from complete as construction work came to a screeching halt after a brief stint of work in 2015.

Even as uncertainty prevails over its usage by commuters in the near future, the plot has been benefiting people other than the commuters who have started parking vehicles including trucks, private buses and tourist vehicles in the unguarded premises.