Thackeray Mulls A 2-Shift Plan, Staggered Timings For Businesses

If Uddhav Thackeray’s instructions to the top officials to work out a plan to have the Mantralaya function in two shifts, and his earlier appeal to the private sector to stagger their office timings come to fruition, the face of transportation, work dynamics, and work-life balance across Mumbai metro region would change. Months ago the BMC, and the Western and Central Railways had offered to rework their schedules during the lockdown itself and asked the State Government to initiate theirs. Apparently after discovering nine infections in the Revenue Department and also seeing the entire entourage of Chhagan Bhujbal hit by the virus, Thackeray set the wheels moving. But the private sector is yet to respond. Thackeray had also told the NITI Ayog about staggered work hours because it may not be within his remit to ask the Central Government offices to stagger their timings. If this does happen, overcrowding on public transport, congestion of Mumbai region’s roads would ease to an extent. But it is a complex task – ministries function in a synergy not perceived by outsiders. Also, the home to station to workplace bus connectivity has to be worked out. Else the solution could be worse than the problem. If only all this had been thought of during the lockdown! A classic case of locking the stable door after the horse has bolted.