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Ludhiana: Commuters cry harassment as buses ‘diverted’ to AAP rally
The rally, scheduled at the Indoor Stadium on Pakhowal Road, will be addressed by AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal and Punjab chief minister (CM) Bhagwant Mann
At a time when Punjab Roadways and PRTC are struggling with a severe shortage of buses, the Punjab government has deployed 324 state-run buses to ferry Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) workers for the party’s rally in Ludhiana, raising concerns about financial strain on the state’s exchequer.
The rally, scheduled at the Indoor Stadium on Pakhowal Road, will be addressed by AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal and Punjab chief minister (CM) Bhagwant Mann. The buses have been arranged from nine districts across the state, including 171 from Punjab Roadways and 153 from PRTC.
Among the districts, Fatehgarh Sahib has contributed the most buses (76), followed by Jalandhar (47), Anandpur Sahib (43), Hoshiarpur (32), Sangrur (34), Ludhiana (28), Faridkot (22), Khadoor Sahib (22), and Patiala (20).
Out of the total 250-bus fleet (115 Punjab Roadways and 135 PRTC), 28 buses will be diverted, forcing daily commuters to bear the brunt.
Rajpal, executive director operations, PUNBUS, said, “Higher officials have directed to deploy 324 buses from nine different districts for the event in Ludhiana.”
Passengers bear the brunt
The move has sparked criticism from residents who argue that public transport is already inadequate, and diverting buses for political events further disrupts daily commuters.
Sukhwinder Singh, a daily commuter from Ludhiana, said, “It is already difficult to get a bus on time, and now the government is using them for political rallies. What about the common people who rely on these buses for work and travel?”
Another resident, Amanpreet Kaur from Jalandhar, questioned the financial burden, saying, “The government claims it lacks funds for new buses, but it can afford to use hundreds of them for political events. Who will pay for this?”
