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Womens’ free travel causing losses, need bailout package: Punjab private bus operators
Punjab Motor Union (PMU), a union of private bus operators who ply nearly 2,000 buses in Punjab, on Tuesday urged chief minister Bhagwant Mann to bail them out from the financial crisis they are facing
Punjab Motor Union (PMU), a union of private bus operators who ply nearly 2,000 buses in Punjab, on Tuesday urged chief minister Bhagwant Mann to bail them out from the financial crisis they are facing.
Addressing a press conference here, PMU secretary RS Bajwa said the mounting losses of bus operators were a result of free travel for women, tax burden per kilometre and nil or negligible bus fare hike over the past few years. “The private bus operators are reeling under huge losses that are threatening the livelihood of around 1.25 lakh families dependent on the industry,” he said, pointing out that they operate under the ‘Ordinary Buses’ category.
Bajwa said the state government is keen to attract investments via the Invest Punjab Summit on February 23 and 24, but before calling for new investments there is a need to focus on domestic investors, particularly the indigenous private passenger bus industry in the state.
The PMU members said the previous government took the free travel decision which ruined the transport industry. “After then chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh announced the free travel facility for women in both Punjab Roadways and PRTC buses, almost 40% of our passengers, mainly women, shifted to their buses, leaving us in the lurch,” they said, adding, “The then government had promised to reduce our tax burden to offset the impact but this was not done.” The union urged Bhagwant Mann government to revisit the decision and announce a suitable compensation. They also urged the CM to increase the first stage ticket price to ₹20 from the present ₹ 10. First stage ticket price is the minimum base price of a bus ticket.
