Finally, ISBT Mohali back in business as Punjab, Pepsu start services
All Punjab and Pepsu Roadways buses are now operating from the station following suspension of services in Chandigarh’s Sector 43 ISBT because of increased Covid-19 cases
Mohali: A dream project of the former Shiromani Akali Dal government, the state-or-the-art Baba Banda Singh Bahadur Inter State Bus Terminus (ISBT Mohali) lying almost abandoned after power changed hands in Punjab, is finally back in business.
The development follows the Chandigarh administration’s decision to suspend interstate operations of Chandigarh Transport Union and other state operated buses from the city’s Sector 43 from June 13 to June 30, following a spike in Covid-19 cases.
All Punjab and Pepsu Roadways buses are now operating from ISBT Mohali, which was inaugurated on December 17, 2016, by then the Punjab deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal.
Only one terminal of the bus stand was made operational then, and after SAD lost the elections the ruling Congress termed it a ‘white elephant’ before abandoning it.
The company which built and operated the ISBT also went bankrupt and fled.
Halts only at bus stands
“The buses will run only within the boundaries of Punjab and Chandigarh, with halts at bus stands and not at stops falling on the way,” said Bhupinder Singh, director, transport, Punjab.
“If the bus is running from Mohali to Amritsar, it will halt only at the Jalandhar bus stand, not at the bus stops in Balachaur and Phagwara,” he added.
Passengers will have to buy tickets from counters while maintaining social distancing and masks are mandatory.
Not more than 25 passengers will be allowed in a bus with a total capacity of 52 seats. Two passengers will be accommodated on three seats, with the middle seat kept vacant, while one passenger will occupy the adjacent row with two seats.
Bhupinder Singh said the seats not to be occupied will be marked with a cross, adding that there was no notification regarding operation of private buses.
Project that went off-track
The ambitious Busopolis project was launched in 2009 and was to be completed in December 2011. Spread over seven acres, it was to have an inter-state bus terminal, three multi-storey towers with retail and office spaces, multiplex, five-star hotel, banquet hall, hyper markets, and a helipad atop a tower. But since its inception, the project has been mired in controversies and possession delays.
While the bus terminal has become operational, the commercial towers are yet to be completed.