Ludhina: Day 2 of Punjab Roadways, PRTC contractual workers union stir: Commuters bear the brunt as over 130 buses stay off roads

Strike intensifies over detention of union leaders; operations will not resume until all detained leaders are released, say agitators

Over 138 Punjab Roadways and Pepsu Road Transport Corporation (PRTC) buses remained off the roads at the Ludhiana bus stand for the second consecutive day on Saturday, as contractual workers intensified their protest against the detention of over 150 union leaders. The Punjab Roadways, Punbus, and PRTC Contract Workers Union have said that operations will not resume until all detained leaders are released.

Commuters stranded at the ISBT in Ludhiana on Saturday. (Manish/HT)

Adding to the unrest, the management of PRTC, Ludhiana, and Punjab Roadways has warned of strict action if the strike is not called off immediately and has directed the termination of workers participating in it, citing unauthorised absence.

The agitation, led by the union, began early Friday around 5 am in response to the statewide detention of senior leaders, including state general secretary Shamsher Singh Dhillon and vice-president Harkesh Kumar Vicky.

Parveen Kumar, general secretary of the Ludhiana unit of the union, said workers had long opposed the tendering of private buses under the kilometre scheme of both Punjab Roadways and PRTC. “For months, we raised our objections in meetings with the state government and departmental management, stating that the scheme paves the way for privatisation of state-run transport by allowing private operators on government-notified routes. They assured us of action, but nothing changed,” he said.

Kumar added that during earlier protests on October 31 and November 17, authorities had postponed the tendering process to November 28 while assuring the union that their demands would be addressed. “We decided to hold a peaceful, two-hour protest on Friday. But to suppress us, the police detained more than 150 union leaders hours before the demonstration. How can a pre-notified, democratic protest be called illegal?” he asked.

Union members also alleged that police used force to disperse workers holding sit-ins at depots in many districts, including Patiala, Sangrur and Ludhiana, resulting in several injuries.

At the Ludhiana bus stand alone, over 350 workers remained off duty. Five Ludhiana union workers are reportedly among those detained, including Shamsher Singh Dhillon, Sukhraj Singh, Mandeep Singh, Manjinder Singh and Harpreet Singh.

So far, several leaders and workers remain in police custody for more than 36 hours (till 6 pm) on Saturday.

Notices issued

Adding to the standoff, PRTC Ludhiana issued a notice to its outsourced manpower agency SS Services Providers, warning of strict action over what it called an “illegal strike.” The corporation has ordered the termination of the contract, blacklisting of the agency, and forfeiture of its security deposit if the strike is not called off at the earliest.

Punjab Roadways management has also directed the termination of the services of workers participating in the strike, citing unauthorised absence since November 28, financial loss to the department and damage to its public image.

Services hit

Navraj Batish, general manager of Punjab Roadways at Ludhiana bus stand, said the department was trying to maintain key routes, including Chandigarh, Amritsar, Bathinda, and Sangrur, through buses operated by regular staff. Interstate buses from Haryana, Rajasthan, and Jammu covering long-distance routes such as Delhi and Jaipur remained operational. Of the 98-bus fleet of Punjab Roadways in Ludhiana, only 20–25 buses were running on Saturday. The department has been unable to cover nearly 20,000 km since Friday morning, resulting in significant revenue loss.

Commuters struggle

With government-run buses largely off the roads, commuters have increasingly turned to private operators to reach their destinations, adding to travel costs and inconvenience

Inderpreet Kaur, a regular commuter said, “I travel from Jagraon to Ludhiana every day for work at a finance firm in Feroze Gandhi market. Government buses are reliable and the free travel scheme helped me manage my monthly expenses. But with public buses off the roads, now I am forced to take private buses, where the fares are higher and the journey takes longer because they stop everywhere.”

Echoing similar sentiments, Jyoti Kumari, who was travelling to Chandigarh, said, “I have been waiting for hours just to catch one of the few Punjab Roadways or PRTC buses still operating. Even they are packed to the brim, making it difficult and unsafe to board. The agitation and strike has completely disrupted our travel routine.”