Bus diversion for govt event leaves Ludhiana commuters hassled

The buses were deployed for the Punjab government’s ‘Jashan-e-Inquilab’ event at PAU to mark the birth anniversary of freedom fighter Bhagat Singh

Commuters relying on state-run buses in Ludhiana were hassled on Monday as only a few buses remained available for regular services. A large number of buses had been diverted for a government event at Punjab Agricultural University (PAU).

The reduced fleet affected passengers dependent on state-run transport for their daily commute (Gurpreet Singh/HT)

The buses were deployed for the Punjab government’s ‘Jashan-e-Inquilab’ event at PAU to mark the birth anniversary of freedom fighter Bhagat Singh. Members of the PunBus and PRTC workers’ union said around 50 of the nearly 70 operational state-run buses in Ludhiana had been deployed to ferry people to the event. This left around 20 buses for regular commuters.

The reduced fleet affected passengers dependent on state-run transport for their daily commute. Women, students, office-goers and workers were among those who faced longer waits and had to make alternative travel arrangements.

Praveen Kumar, general secretary of the Contract Workers Union, said nearly 110 state-run buses operate in Ludhiana. “Around 70 of these are operational and nearly 50 had been deployed for the event,” he said.

“I understand that a big government event is being held but that should not mean ordinary passengers are left without buses. We have to reach our workplaces and colleges on time and cannot afford to wait indefinitely,” said Kushal Devi, a commuter.

Another passenger, Radha Sharma, said commuters should not have to bear the additional cost of private transport because buses had been deployed for the event.

“We also have to reach our workplaces, colleges and other places on time. Private buses are charging much more which many of us cannot afford,” she said.

Punjab Roadways general manager Nawraj Batish said the department was trying to maintain services by diverting buses from other-state routes to Punjab routes wherever possible. “Buses being used for other-state routes are being diverted and operated on Punjab routes wherever possible. We have tried to manage the buses as much as we can,” he said.