Ludhiana, Dec. 29 -- As dense fog continues to shroud highways across Punjab, Punjab Roadways buses operating from the Ludhiana depot are being pressed to operate onto roads with missing or malfunctioning safety equipment due to an acute shortage of critical spare parts, raising serious safety concerns for both daily commuters and staff, officials familiar with the matter said.

Amid an inadequate and inconsistent supply of critical spare parts, depot officials say they are being forced to keep buses on the road despite compromised safety standards. In a bid to keep operations afloat, the Ludhiana depot has been compelled to arrange essential components on credit from local vendors despite the existence of a dedicated central store meant ...