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10 months on, PRTC resumes local service from old Patiala bus stand
The old bus stand was shut in May last year after Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann inaugurated the new high-tech bus stand on the city outskirts.
Pepsu Road Transport Corporation (PRTC) on Tuesday restarted local bus operations from Patiala’s old bus stand after 10 months.
The old bus stand was shut in May last year after Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann inaugurated the new high-tech bus stand on the city outskirts.
PRTC chairman Ranjodh Hadana said around 60 buses covering around 30-40 km radius of Patiala had already started operating via the old bus stand. “In the first phase, bus service will resume to Nabha, Samana, Ghanaur, Bhadson in Patiala and Bhawanigarh in Sangrur,” said the chairman.
He said in the next phase, bus services will be provided for Rajpura and Gharram in Patiala, and Cheeka in Haryana. “In the third phase, e-bus service will be started for intra-city service from the old bus stand,” said Hadana.
Ever since the shifting of the bus stand, commuters and shop owners near the old bus stand have been hit hard.
Commuters had been facing inconvenience to reach the new bus stand from the city and business of shopkeepers at the old bus stand had been hit due to shifting of the bus stand.
Earlier, Patiala MLA Ajitpal Kohli had also raised the issue in Punjab Vidhan Sabha.
“There has been a constant demand from local commuters, students and pilgrims, for connectivity from the new bus stand to the old one as majority of the education institutes; study centres; market places; malla; government offices; hospitals; and other public places are located in the main city,” said a senior official of PRTC.
