Bus services across Ludhiana remained severely disrupted on Friday as the Punjab Bandh called by the Qaumi Insaaf Morcha brought transport operations to a near standstill, with road blockades halting buses and leaving the Ludhiana bus stand largely deserted. Both Punjab Roadways and PRTC services were affected, while around 2,100 private buses across Punjab also remained off the road.
Officials said buses that had left Ludhiana early in the morning were unable to complete their scheduled rounds as roads were blocked at multiple locations. Around 5.45 am, Roadways and PRTC buses departed for various destinations, but several could not return after encountering blockades. At the same time, buses scheduled to leave the city remained parked at their counters as they could not proceed towards their destinations.
Punjab Roadways general manager Navraj Batish said bus services remained affected until 2 pm due to road blockades at key points. Buses heading towards Jalandhar and Amritsar were stopped near the Ladowal toll plaza, while buses on routes to Chandigarh also faced disruption. The Delhi airport bus service was also affected. “Operations gradually returned to normal by 2 pm after the roads were cleared,” Batish said.
The impact was visible at the Ludhiana bus stand, where several buses remained parked and counters wore a deserted look. Passenger footfall during the morning was estimated at just around 10% of normal levels, as many commuters either postponed their journeys or were unable to reach the bus stand.
{{/usCountry}}The impact was visible at the Ludhiana bus stand, where several buses remained parked and counters wore a deserted look. Passenger footfall during the morning was estimated at just around 10% of normal levels, as many commuters either postponed their journeys or were unable to reach the bus stand.
{{/usCountry}}The disruption also hit private bus operators. The Small Scale Bus Operator Welfare Association said around 2,100 private buses across Punjab remained off the road in support of the bandh, further reducing transport availability on inter-district routes.
For commuters who had planned to travel out of Ludhiana, the disruption meant uncertainty and long waits at the bus stand. Several passengers were forced to postpone their journeys after finding that buses were either cancelled, delayed or unable to return to the city.
Overall, transport officials estimated that only around 50% of the usual bus services operated during the day.