E-Paper
PRTC losing ₹15 lakh a day due to blocked highways due to farmers’ stir
Pepsu Road Transport Corp loses ₹15 lakh daily due to blocked highways amid farmers' protest on Punjab-Haryana border, impacting services to Delhi and Haryana.
The state-run Pepsu Road Transport Corporation (PRTC) is losing as much as ₹15 lakh every day due to blocked national and state highways due to ongoing farmers’ stir on the Punjab and Haryana border. Due to the protests, Haryana has barricaded its borders at Shambhu, Khanauri and Dabwali to stop farmers from marching to Delhi.
The stir has affected PRTC’s services to Haryana, Delhi and Uttarakhand, a PRTC official said.
The average daily income has gone down from ₹1.77 crore in February’s first week to ₹1.62 crore, this week.
Among the interstate bus services, the Volvo buses from various districts in Punjab to New Delhi have been completely halted owing to the blockade. Volvo buses have been the main income source for the PRTC.
Besides the state and national highways, the link roads along the Punjab and Haryana Border have also been blocked by Haryana Police making it impossible for the PRTC to resume bus services.
Some of the major routes that have been impacted include, Patiala to Delhi; Ludhiana to Delhi; Jalandhar to Delhi; Sangrur to Delhi; Sangrur to Jind; Patiala to Kaithal; Patiala to Jind; and Patiala to Hisar.
“We are facing losses as all the interstate bus services to Haryana and Delhi had to be stopped. As of now, Volvo buses to Delhi are completely stalled. We have started a few ordinary buses to Delhi via diverted routes but because of it, diesel costs have gone up. We are planning to start a few Volvo buses also, to Delhi, in the coming days as passengers are facing a lot of inconveniences,” PRTC chairman Ranjodh Singh Hadana said.
