PRTC set to gain as Orbit stays off road

Bharat Khanna

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, May 3

Even as the move by Punjab Deputy Chief Minister, as a co-owner of Orbit Transport, announcing the Orbit buses to be taken off the roads is being perceived as a bid to escape the public outcry, it has benefitted the state government-run Pepsu Road Transport Corporation (PRTC). The corporation has reassigned the work of drivers and conductors to its staff posted as clerks at Bathinda.

Around 35 conductors and drivers of the corporation were forcibly asked to work as clerks to overcome the shortage of clerical staff at Bathinda. They are back on their original jobs now.

In August last year, the government had expelled about 800 PRTC contractual employees following a strike over alleged misuse of time table by Orbit buses, demand for reinstatement of their two senior colleagues, stopping contractual buses under per km scheme as irregularities etc.

On Sunday, only one PRTC bus was seen at the Bathinda workshop of the corporation. The number is usually 10 to 15 on any working day. These buses, sources revealed, were forced to keep standing at the workshop to allegedly benefit Orbit buses.

After the Moga molestation incident in an Orbit bus four days ago, there has been a lot of hue and cry over the issue following which Sukhbir Badal had ordered to take Orbit buses off the roads. On Sunday, The Tribune highlighted the issue of the routes of PRTC buses being allegedly hijacked by Orbit buses for a long time, especially on busy routes, including Bathinda-Chandigarh and Bathinda-Ludhaina via Barnala.

Of the total 192 buses that ply off from Bathinda to Barnala, 57 belonged to Orbit. On papers, PRTC plied 50 buses on this route. PRTC employees, however, claimed that only 10 PRTC buses were allowed to ply on this route, while the remaining were diverted on low-income routes.

PRTC Worker Union (Azaad), Bathinda, president Harbans Bhola, said, “Now, the PRTC buses are running on all permitted routes, including Bathinda-Chandigarh. Earlier, the Chandigarh route was captured by Orbit, whereas PRTC buses were diverted on low-income routes.”

PRTC General Manager Vinod Kumar said, “We are utilising our staff that was earlier handling the clerical work. Yes, the clerical work will be affected a bit, but the income of the corporation will get a good jump. The increase in revenue will be known by Monday morning.”