Ludhiana, Jan. 14 -- Passengers were left stranded in the biting cold at the Ludhiana interstate bus stand after the state transport department diverted 132 government buses to Maghi Mela, scheduled to be held in Muktsar Sahib on Wednesday.

According to officials, the diversion included 60 buses of Punjab Roadways and 72 of PRTC from Ludhiana depot. With Ludhiana housing a total fleet of just 227 buses, this meant more than half of the city's operational public buses were pulled out at once for the event, curtailing their availability on several routes. The sudden shortage left daily commuters, office goers and women travelling under the free travel scheme struggling to find alternative transport, intensifying the inconvenience during th...