In a big relief to passengers, the state-run Pepsu Road Transport Corporation (PRTC) on Friday kickstarted intrastate Volvo services. It is the first time that the Volvo buses will be running on the Chandigarh-Abohar route, which was earlier dominated by private Volvo buses.
The passenger fare from Chandigarh to Abohar will be around ₹850, which will be less than the private ones. Earlier, the PRTC was plying Volvo buses only on the Delhi-airport routes.
PRTC officials said they would like to first increase the frequency of the Volvo buses on this route because this route is the one that covers a major part of the Malwa region. Thereafter, they would start the luxury bus service on different routes of the state.
As of now, the PRTC is operating in Punjab, Haryana, Himachal, Chandigarh, Delhi, UP, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan and Jammu and Kashmir. In all, the PRTC has got 1,304 buses in various categories, including 19 Volvo buses.
Chairman, PRTC, Ranjodh Singh Hadana said, “The people of the state will now be able to enjoy cheap and easy travel within the state as well. We are mulling to introduce Volvo buses on other routes too.”
He added that private bus owners had been earning big money and had become a headache for the department by driving illegal buses late at night. “Out of which, around 21 private illegal buses have already been impounded and fined,” said Hadana.
{{/usCountry}}He added that private bus owners had been earning big money and had become a headache for the department by driving illegal buses late at night. “Out of which, around 21 private illegal buses have already been impounded and fined,” said Hadana.
{{/usCountry}}Amanvir Singh Tiwana, general manager, said, “After private buses were impounded as per the state transport policy, people had continuously been demanding Volvo buses on the Chandigarh- Bathinda route. Considering this demand, we have started Volvo buses on this route. We have also launched WhatsApp complaint number — 9592195923 — to resolve issues faced by passengers while travelling in PRTC buses.”