Over 100 buses off road in Punjab
Ludhiana, May 31 -- Around 103 Punjab Roadways buses across 18 depots in the state remained off road this week due to driver shortage. The disruption comes at a time when the Punjab Roadways fleet is already stretched thin to meet the heavy passenger rush.
Among the worst affected depots are Chandigarh, Jalandhar, Amritsar, Pathankot, Ludhiana and Jagraon, officials confirmed. Besides the shortage of 450 drivers, Punjab Roadways officials attributed the disruption also to an acute shortage of essential spare parts, including tyres. The department currently operates a fleet of 1,590 buses, already insufficient to meet the rising demand for public transport, especially during peak travel seasons.
The crisis comes despite transport minister Laljit Singh Bhullar on May 15 declaring induction of 606 new buses. Compounding the challenge is the ageing fleet. Around 160 buses have already been condemned this year with another 23 set to be declared unfit solely at the Ludhiana depot by July, officials said.
Shamsher Singh Dhillon, state general secretary of the Punjab Roadways, Punbus and PRTC Contractual Workers' Union, said the system is already buckling under a severe bus shortage. "Although the state government has repeatedly announced plans to induct new buses, the benefits are yet to be seen," he said.
When contacted, Punjab Roadways director Rajiv Gupta confirmed that 103 buses were off road due to driver shortage. "Till Friday, around 150 drivers were selected through an outsourced firm (SS Service Providers). They will now undergo training and medical tests. As of today, we have managed to resume operations of nearly 80 buses and all remaining buses are expected to be back on road by Monday," he said.
Regarding spare part shortage, officials said, "The department recently faced this issue, but after the release of around Rs.16 crore as reimbursement for the free travel scheme, spare parts have been procured for use until July. These will soon be dispatched to the respective depots to ensure smooth operations."...
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