A few of the Punjab Roadways and Pepsu Road Transport Corporation (PRTC) depots have halted their bus services to several routes in Himachal Pradesh including Manikaran, Chintpurni, Jwalaji, Dharamshala, and Manali in view of the recent row over Bhindranwale poster and attack on Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) buses in Punjab, officials said.
Although no official announcement has been made regarding suspensions of routes, it is learnt that general managers of the depots in Ludhiana, Hoshiarpur, Rupnagar, Nawanshahr, Amritsar, Jalandhar, and Ferozepur have taken this decision given the safety of the passengers and vehicles.
“Our buses are operating only up to Hoshiarpur but are not entering Himachal due to security reasons,” said Praveen Kumar, PRTC general manager in Ludhiana, adding that while no official orders have been conveyed to them, the disruptions are being enforced to prevent any untoward incidents.
According to bus stand staff, Ludhiana previously had 28 daily buses to Himachal Pradesh, 11 operated by HRTC and 17 by Punjab Roadways and PRTC (5 and 12, respectively). However, this number has now dropped to just two.
“The services have been temporarily suspended and will start once the situation improves,” Navraj Batish, general manager of Punjab Roadways at Ludhiana bus stand said.
{{/usCountry}}“The services have been temporarily suspended and will start once the situation improves,” Navraj Batish, general manager of Punjab Roadways at Ludhiana bus stand said.
{{/usCountry}}A senior Punjab Roadways official, on condition of anonymity, said general managers at the depot level can take such a decision.
“There has been no official announcement regarding the suspension of bus services to Himachal. However, general managers at individual depots have the authority to temporarily halt services if safety concerns arise.”
Shamsher Singh Dhillon, state general secretary of the Punjab Roadways, Punbus, and PRTC contractual workers’ union, urged the governments of both states to take immediate steps to restore normalcy “Passengers are at the receiving end due to this situation,” he said.
One of the travellers said that they are being forced to rely on private buses and taxis.
“I had booked a ticket on a bus from Ludhiana to Manali for a family vacation. Now, I will have to take multiple connections via Hoshiarpur, which is both inconvenient and expensive,” said Damanpreet Kaur, a resident of Shimlapuri.
Pilgrims visiting Jwalaji and Chintpurni temples are also struggling to reach their destination. “Private buses are charging hefty fares and their availability is also not guaranteed.,” said Anjali Verma.