Zero security at bus depots

After assessing the situation at three bus depots in city, we found that even simple measures such as frisking passengers were not being adhered to

Zero security at bus depots

MiD DAY's securityu00a0audit at Pune bus depots reveals none of the measures MSRTC had promised are in place

Ever travelled in a government AC Volvo bus from Pune to Mumbai, that charges nearly double the amount of a private bus service, and cursed yourself for making that decision? If yes, then here's some news for you.

Starting today, MiD DAY will be running a series on the state of AC Volvo buses between Pune-Mumbai and highlight commuter woes. We will visit various bus depots where Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) bus services are operated from and talk to commuters and each day carry a story on a particular issue. Today we take up the issue of security, a concern for most travellers we spoke to. From petty thefts to laptops going missing and even terror threats, commuters want security to be made available and visible at bus depots. We assess the security situation at important MSRTC depots like Swargate and Pune Railway Station.

Nilesh Pendurkar (42), a general manager in a private firm, said the security measures were pathetic and that he was thinking about buying an insurance policy, as he was a regular traveller on the MSRTC buses.

"These people do not even have basic security measures in place. Forget about metal detectors, there is no one to even check the bags manually. Anyone can carry a bomb and plant it anywhere on the premises of the depot and just walk out happily. The state government should really do something, particularly in lieu of the recent terror attacks in the country," said Pendurkar.u00a0

To check on his claims, MiD DAY went along with him to the area where air-conditioned Shivneri buses, plying between Pune and Mumbai stood, and observed that even the minimum security measures were not adhered to.
No one was frisking passengers, let alone keeping a close watch with the CCTV cameras. Besides that, there was no baggage checks and shockingly, the underground storage area of a few buses were left open and even those without a valid ticket could leave their baggage inside.

Rajneesh Kumar (26), a marketing executive who was waiting for the departure of his bus to Mumbai, said: "Thinking about it seriously sends shivers down my spine. Even shopping malls have better security than these bus depots.

"Moreover, Pune is a metropolis and is always on the terror radar. The German Bakery blast is a telling example of how terror-prone and unsafe our city is."u00a0

At pune railway station bus depot

The situation at the Pune railway station was no better either. From unprotected entry points to a lone security personnel to look after unclaimed baggage lying around, no checks on baggage being brought in to lack of gadgets such as CCTV cameras, metal detectors, this depot too proved to be a sitting duck for any anti-social activities.

Sameer Ghade, a 26-year-old engineer with an infrastructure company and a regular traveller, said that when the MSRTC charges are high as compared to private players on the same route, they should take care of these facilities as well.u00a0

"What is the point of spending so much money and using a bus that can be blown up anytime? And the perpetrators can just walk out smiling. Forget about the extreme scenario, petty crimes are so common here and hardly any thieves are caught. Laptops are stolen and bags get flicked. Had cameras been installed at least thefts involving laptops and baggage could have solved and people could feel secure," he added.

Khalil Bhagwan (50), a businessman on his way to Mumbai, said: "This is au00a0 government transport facility.

If the railway stations and the airports can be targets of terrorists, so can this one (bus depots). I cannot see even basic facilities, let alone bag scanners and X-ray machines," said the passenger.

At Shivaji Nagar bus depot

In September, when investigators had revealed that the accused in the German Bakery blast had alighted from a state transport bus at the Shivaji Nagar depot with a bomb in their bag, MiD DAY had done a security audit of the bus depots and pointed out how vulnerable they were to such security lapses.

We had left bags at six different spots and found that the unattended bags caused no furore among the MSRTC staff.

When pointed out, MSRTC had promised the next day that they would be installing CCTV cameras at depots and had also requested for more security personnel as there were only two guards to look after each depot then. However, five months after the exercise, the plan is only on papers and the ground situation remains the same.

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