Residents suffer as city buses don’t ply

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, December 10

Residents are facing a tough time as city buses are off roads for the past around three months.

Facing losses, Pepsu Roadway Transport Corporation (PRTC) is in no mood to run these buses. The Municipal Corporation (MC), Bathinda, has also not taken concrete steps to ply these buses.

It is learnt that the PRTC was facing a loss of Rs 7 lakh per month, due to which it had expressed its inability to run these buses. While the MC, which is itself facing a financial crunch, is also not capable to ply these city buses on its own.

Senior Deputy Mayor Tarsem Goyal said it was unfortunate that city buses were off road. “These buses were purchased as per the requirement of the PRTC. After purchasing 10 long buses, the PRTC demanded mini-buses. Later, 20 buses were purchased. Now, the PRTC is saying it is not feasible. A lot of effort and money have been spent on this. PRTC officials should rethink on their decision. They should start plying the buses as these are beneficial for the public.”

MC Commissioner Sanyam Aggarwal said no alternative step had been taken so far to ply city buses. He said they were waiting for the new transport policy. After that alternative arrangements for plying the buses would be made, he added.

Last year, the PRTC had raised the issue and handed over the buses to the MC owning to heavy losses.

At that time, the MC was adamant that it would run these buses on its own.

The MC even floated a tender to give these buses to private hands, but no private transporter showed any interest.