The functioning of Ludhiana bus stand went haywire on Monday as the Punjab Roadways and PRTC contractual staff went on indefinite strike to press their demand for immediate regularisation.
Passengers rushed from counter to counter to locate available buses for their destination as over most public buses remained off the road.
Private transporters made hay of the strike, with passengers having no option but to board their buses.
According to officials, the regular staff operated some buses to Amritsar, Jalandhar and Bathinda. But no service was available for Delhi, Manali, and Jammu, while those to Chandigarh and Ferozepur were also affected..
“A total of 108 buses of Punjab Roadways and PUNBUS ply daily from Ludhiana depot and cover around 35,000km area, but on Monday, only 36 were operational. These could cover only around 10,000km, causing losses worth around ₹8 lakh,” said Tarsem Singh, in-charge, Ludhiana bus stand.
Sharing details of PRTC buses, another official said around 100 PRTC buses ferried passengers from Ludhiana bus stand daily, but only 30 could ply on Monday due to the strike, leading to losses worth over ₹6 lakh.
Harrowing time
{{/usCountry}}Harrowing time
{{/usCountry}}Jatinder Kumar, 40, of Sri Muktsar Sahib had to travel to Chandigarh for his 10-year-old daughter’s treatment at a government hospital, but was left stranded at the Ludhiana bus stand for hours.
“I have already waited for several hours for a PRTC bus for Chandigarh. Now I am buying tickets for a private bus, as it is important for me to reach the hospital in time. While the PRTC ticket would have cost around ₹100, I now have to pay ₹280 for my journey,” said Kumar.
Rashpal Singh, 28, expressed frustration as he couldn’t find a bus back to his hometown in Malerkotla. “It is not easy for me to wait for long due to my physical disability. Since private buses are full and also overcharging, I don’t wish to travel in crowded vehicles,” he said.
Female passengers, who have been exempted from paid travel in public buses by the state government, complained of overcharging by private buses.
Arti, 39, of Ferozepur, couldn’t find a PRTC bus to her hometown and eventually had to pay full fare for the ticket of her eight-year-old daughter to board a private bus. “I have waited for over three hours for a roadways bus to Ferozepur, but finally have to go for a private bus. Usually there is no fare for women in public buses, but I am being asked to pay even for my daughter,” she said.
Seema, 35, of Jalalabad and Jasmeet Kaur, 27, of Malerkotla voiced the same concerns.
Meanwhile, Parveen Kumar, general secretary, PUNBUS Contractual Union, Ludhiana, said the strike will continue till the government initiated the process for their regularisation. “The chief minister had promised regularisation of contractual employees ahead of the 2017 Assembly elections, but the claims fell flat. We can’t feed our kids with a mere salary of ₹10,000,” Kumar said.