Govt buses go off roads in dist for two hours

Commuters in the district faced inconvenience as contractual employees of the Punjab Roadways Transport Company (PRTC) and Punjab Bus Service (PunBus) staged a protest at the bus stand here on Thursday. They were demanding the regularization of their services and better working conditions. The protest, which lasted for two hours (from 10 am to 12 pm), brought the city to a standstill with government buses remaining off the road.

Passengers were left stranded. “I had to reach Jalandhar on time, but due to this protest, I got late. I understand their demands, but they should find alternative ways of protest so that common people are not affected,” said Rohan, a commuter.

The employees, who were raising slogans against the state government, also burnt copies of a government decision to hire private buses on government routes. They claimed that the government’s proposed policy to use private buses on government routes is the final step towards privatisation of the public transport system in the state.

“The Transport Minister has brought a new policy as per which private buses would be hired on a per kilometer scheme,” said Jagwinder Singh, an employees’ union leader. He said they have demanded from the government to add new buses to the existing fleet of roadways so that people can travel at affordable charges.

The employee leaders stated that while private bus operators are flourishing, the state transport is struggling for survival. They said government policies are responsible for the existing crisis staring at public transport.

The employees’ union has announced that they will halt buses for three days from April 7 if their demands are not met. The union has also demanded better working conditions for the drivers and conductors. They further added that repair and maintenance of the buses should be done on priority by the state transport department.

Amritsar