Thousands of Punekars take Shivneri buses to Mumbai from various bus stations across the city. The bus remains a priority transport due to its affordability for senior citizens, women, and perceived safety.
However, a Shivneri ride on Saturday proved to be a bad experience for a passenger from Pune. Taking to X, the commuter asked where he should complain as the driver was on the phone continuously. In his post on X, he mentioned Devendra Fadnavis, CMO's handle, Ajit Pawar, and MSRTC.
While several such complaints by commuters go unnoticed, the X user Nitin Godbole was among the lucky ones who could see action on his complaint.
"Shivneri bus Dadar to Swargate 9:30 am Driver continuously talking on the phone while driving. Where to complain?" he had posted on March 22 at around 11:08 am. To which he got a reply at 2:23 pm on March 23.
CMO's reply
"This driver was immediately suspended. FIR is in process. And more action is underway. Nitin Godbole, your concern was duly noted and directed to respective department officials, they verified it and did the due process for above immediate actions," noted the reply by CMO.
MSRTC's services have been in limelight due to a recent rape case that took place at the Swargate bus depot in Pune. The transport authority received huge flak after the rape regarding the management of the Swargate depot, which led to the suspension of several officers and security guards. The unused buses, flooded with garbage, clothes, and condoms, also sparked concern in Pune and were taken out after the flak. While this new controversy over drivers on call was tamed by a single quick action initiated by the CMO.
