Ludhiana: Commuters fume as 117 buses ‘diverted’ for political event

The move has drawn criticism from commuters who said that using government buses for a political function has caused inconvenience to daily passengers

The state transport separtment has diverted 117 government buses for a political event scheduled to be held on January 8 at the Indoor Stadium here, where chief minister Bhagwant Mann and senior Aam Aadmi Party leaders are to attend the oath-taking ceremony of zila parishad members who recently got elected.

Passengers said several routes were curtailed or services delayed as buses were taken off duty ahead of the event. (HT Photo)

Officials confirmed that 69 buses of Punjab Roadways and 48 buses of the Punjab Road Transport Corporation (PRTC) have been deployed to ferry party workers and supporters from different districts to the event. These buses are otherwise used for daily public transport services across the state.

The move has drawn criticism from commuters who said that using government buses for a political function has caused inconvenience to daily passengers. Passengers said several routes were curtailed or services delayed as buses were taken off duty ahead of the event. Office-goers, students and industrial workers reported long waiting hours at bus stands.

“This is a political programme. Why should public buses be used for it?” said Rajinder Singh, a commuter at the Ludhiana bus stand. “People depend on these buses to reach offices and factories. The government should hire private buses instead of troubling passengers.”

Residents said such diversions have become frequent during major political events and should be stopped. They pointed out that many low-income passengers depend entirely on state-run transport and any reduction in services directly affects their work and studies.

Confirming the deployment, Gurinder Singh, general manager, Punjab Roadways, said, “A total of 117 buses have been deputed for the January 8 event. Each bus has been assigned to one constituency.”

AAP state spokesperson Neel Garg said, “I am not aware of the event and do not want to comment on this issue.”

Jatinder Khangura, district president of AAP, said, “I am not aware about the deployment of government buses for the function, but I will verify this.”