Maharashtra Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik on Thursday warned that Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) department controllers will be held directly responsible if toilets at MSRTC bus stations are found to be unclean, an official statement said.
Sarnaik said maintaining clean, hygienic and healthy toilet facilities for passengers was a basic responsibility of the transport corporation and that negligence in this regard would not be tolerated.
He was speaking at a cleanliness review meeting held at the MSRTC headquarters in Mumbai. Senior department heads, regional managers and department controllers attended the meeting.
Passengers pay Rs 2 cleanliness surcharge
Sarnaik pointed out that the MSRTC charges passengers a cleanliness surcharge of Rs 2 and said they were entitled to receive basic hygiene facilities in return.
“Passengers should receive at least basic cleanliness facilities in return for the surcharge they pay. Meeting their reasonable expectations is our duty,” he said.
He added that unclean toilets at bus stations directly affected the MSRTC’s public image and stressed that there could be no negligence when it came to cleanliness.
Regular inspections of bus station toilets
The transport minister directed officials to conduct regular inspections of toilets at bus stations and ensure that cleanliness was maintained consistently.
He also instructed officials to ensure that contractors responsible for maintaining the facilities carried out cleaning work properly, in accordance with the terms of their contracts.
Sarnaik said officials could not shift the entire responsibility to contractors and must personally monitor cleanliness at bus stations under their jurisdiction.
“If we fail to provide clean facilities to passengers, the concerned department controllers will be held accountable,” he warned.
Focus on clean and hygienic facilities for passengers
Sarnaik said the MSRTC played an important role in the daily lives of ordinary people and that its responsibility extended beyond providing safe and comfortable transport.
He stressed that clean bus stations and hygienic facilities were equally important for passengers and called on the administration to adopt a more sensitive approach to their needs.
The minister reiterated that negligence in maintaining cleanliness would not be accepted and that officials must ensure passengers receive the facilities they deserve.
