Ludhiana: Short of staff, Punjab Roadways service affected, says union

In Ludhiana alone, regular supervisory and technical posts including traffic manager, auto mechanical engineer, works manager, 30 inspectors and sub-inspectors and station supervisors have remained vacant for years

Nearly 80% of regular posts in Punjab Roadways, a state transport undertaking, are lying vacant, triggering operational and administrative crisis, members of the Punjab State Ministerial Staff Union have said. Out of 5,571 sanctioned positions across 18 depots, around 4,500 remain unfilled, severely affecting bus operations, maintenance and passenger service, they said.

The union urged the state to initiate permanent recruitment without further delay. (HT Photo)

In Ludhiana alone, regular supervisory and technical posts including traffic manager, auto mechanical engineer, works manager, 30 inspectors and sub-inspectors and station supervisors have remained vacant for years, leading to a steady decline in service quality for thousands of daily commuters.

Raising serious concerns over what it termed “systemic neglect” of a key revenue generating department, the union said the acute staff shortage has begun to directly impact day-to-day functioning of depots, passenger safety, maintenance of buses and punctuality of services. Punjab Roadways, which caters to lakhs of daily commuters, is struggling to maintain routes and schedules due to a lack of operational and supervisory staff, they added.

According to the union, vacancies exist across almost every cadre. These include seven posts of superintendent, 27 posts of senior assistant, 284 posts of clerk, 43 posts of stenotypist, 184 posts of inspector, 1,900 posts of driver and nearly 2,000 posts of conductor across the 18 depots. In addition, a large number of technical and workshop posts remain vacant, severely affecting vehicle maintenance and repair work.

The situation is equally grim in the lower cadres. Several grade IV posts, including mechanics, welders, washers, sweepers and other support staff are also vacant for years. The absence of adequate workshop staff has resulted in frequent breakdowns, delayed repairs and reduced availability of buses, further burdening an already overstretched system.

Vinod Sagar, state president of the union, said,” For the past two years, we are continuously raising the demand to fill these vacant posts in the meeting with Punjab Roadways authorities but they have failed to act upon it.”

Additionally, Keemti Lal, state general secretary of the union, said the shortage has pushed existing employees to the brink. “In many depots, a single clerk is managing the workload of three seats. Employees are under immense pressure and mental stress due to excessive workload,” he said, adding that office work, workshop operations and route duties are all being adversely affected,” he added.

Demanding immediate government intervention, the union urged the state to initiate permanent recruitment without further delay. It also sought regularisation of drivers and conductors working on contracts. The union maintained that timely recruitment would not only ease pressure on existing staff but also generate employment.

When contacted, Punjab Roadways general manager Navraj Batish acknowledged the ongoing staff shortage by stating, “In order to keep routine operations running smoothly, we have been reshuffling the duties of the existing employees to cover the gaps.”