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Protest by outsourced staff hassles passengers at Ludhiana bus stand
The demonstration, organised under the banner of the Punjab Roadways, Punbus, and PRTC contractual workers union, led to a complete shutdown of operations from 3 pm to 4.30 pm at the terminal, leaving hundreds of passengers stranded and triggering severe traffic congestion outside the premises of the terminus
Chaos erupted at the Ludhiana’s Interstate Bus Terminus (ISBT) on Thursday afternoon when outsourced Punjab Roadways employees staged a protest over alleged salary delays from the past two months.
The demonstration, organised under the banner of the Punjab Roadways, Punbus, and PRTC contractual workers union, led to a complete shutdown of operations from 3 pm to 4.30 pm at the terminal, leaving hundreds of passengers stranded and triggering severe traffic congestion outside the premises of the terminus.
With no clear communication from authorities, commuters found themselves trapped at the bus stand. “After finishing my classes, I was returning home when I realised that no bus operator was ready to operate. I kept asking around for any updates on the resumption of services, but nobody provided clear information,” said Swati, a college student from Samrala.
Echoing similar sentiments, Gurdip Singh, a stranded traveller noted, “I am travelling to Mohali and have been stuck here for more than two hours. Only a few buses are running, and even those are overcrowded, with passengers of free travel facilities.”
Traffic gridlock compounds disruption
As buses remained immobilised around the bus stand vicinity, severe traffic snarls ensued. Vehicles attempting to pass through the area were caught in a standstill, compounding the inconvenience for many commuters.
Harpal Singh, a resident of Janta Nagar said,” I am taking my mother to a doctor’s appointment, but the traffic is so severe that it is difficult to reach on time.”
Protest held over salary delays
Notably, the outsourced employees are protesting due to salary delays, claiming that they have been working without pay for over two months. They argue that while the management has funds to compensate senior officials, the workers responsible for operating the buses have yet to receive their due payments.
Shamsher Singh Dhillon, state general secretary of the union, stated, “The protest was initially set for February 19, but we postponed it after the management assured us that salaries would be released. However, despite repeated assurances, when our wages were not credited on time, we had no choice but to stage a strong protest to address our concerns.”
Addressing the situation, Punjab Roadways general manager at the ISBT, Navraj Batish, stated, “The salaries have been credited to their accounts, but there is confusion due to delays in notification. We are engaging with the protesting employees to resolve the issue and restore normal operations at the bus stand.”
