Ludhiana: Punjab Roadways bleeds ₹6L per month amid fleet crunch, tax load

Explaining the situation, officials noted that the mismatch between the number of buses and the number of routes is at the heart of the crisis

Despite holding permits for nearly 150 routes and paying regular taxes for all of them, the Ludhiana depot of Punjab Roadways is struggling to maintain operations on several prominent destinations, officials familiar with the matter said.

While the depot holds licences for destinations such as Jaipur, Rishikesh, Haridwar and Kalka, its fleet of just 104 buses makes it impossible to cover all these routes effectively. (Manish/HT)

The situation, described as a “double whammy,” where on one side the department is obligated to pay staggering taxes while unable to run buses on many of the same routes meant to generate revenue, pushing the depot into monthly losses exceeding ₹6 lakh.

Explaining the situation, officials noted that the mismatch between the number of buses and the number of routes is at the heart of the crisis. While the depot holds licences for nearly 150 routes connecting popular destinations such as Naina Devi, Jaipur, Rishikesh, Haridwar, Kalka, and Ballabhgarh, its fleet of just 104 buses makes it impossible to cover all these routes effectively.

A senior official, speaking on condition of anonymity, elaborated, “On average, government run buses in Ludhiana are obligated to cover 40,000 kms each month, but we are barely able to manage 30,000 kilometres due to severe shortage of buses.”

The crisis has only deepened in recent months. Around 11 buses at the Ludhiana depot have already been condemned, and another 12 are scheduled for decommissioning by December. This has further reduced the depot’s already stretched fleet, forcing officials to make difficult decisions about which routes to prioritise, he added.

“It is difficult to manage operations on every permitted route. We shuffle buses based on public convenience. For instance, weekday demand for Chandigarh and Delhi remains high, so we allocate more buses there. On weekends, we deploy extra buses on Ludhiana-Amritsar routes to cater to the large number of devotees visiting Darbar Sahib, officials noted.

Commuters face the brunt

The impact of these shortages is being felt most acutely by daily travellers, many of whom are now forced to rely on private operators, often at much higher costs.

Shreya Kalra, a frequent traveller from Ludhiana to Haridwar, said, “It is unpredictable. Instead of regular service, the depot operates buses on selective days, where we are left with no choice but to pay double or triple to private operators. Government services are supposed to be affordable and dependable, but that is hardly the case anymore.”

When contacted, Navraj Batish, general manager of Punjab Roadways, acknowledged the challenges, by stating “We have 150 permits but only 104 buses. In such a situation, it is difficult to ensure bus service on every route. We operate buses based on passenger footfall, route geography, and revenue generation. Unfortunately, this means several routes, such as Naina Devi and Ballabhgarh, often remain neglected.”