Train, bus services hit in Ludhiana

Tribune News Service
Ludhiana, March 26

Due to the 12-hour nationwide protest call given by the farmers’ unions against the Centre’s new agricultural laws, the trains and bus services were badly hit here in Ludhiana.

The trains were delayed due to the protests as these were halted at different stations. The buses remained off road amid ‘Bharat bandh’ call on Friday.

The passengers waited for hours for resumption of services at the railway station and Amar Shaheed Sukhdev Interstate Bus Terminal in Ludhiana.

No untoward incident

• The ‘Bharat bandh’ caused inconvenience to commuters. Movement of traffic on road was quite less than the usual and only those people who had to go to their workplace or for some important works came out. No violence or any law and order situation was reported.
• At the Rajpura chowk, Haibowal, no vehicular movement was allowed. Commuters had to take alternative route to reach their destination. Similarly at the Bharat Nagar chowk, the police had already put up barricades and provided diversion.

Many passengers were seen at platforms of the city railway station. A number of passengers along with luggage were sitting on the floor, waiting for trains. Several persons had no prior information about the ‘Bharat bandh’.

A passenger at the Ludhiana railway station said, “I had to take train from Ludhiana to Bihar today. I had reached the station at around 11:30 am but I later learned that the train will arrive at the Ludhiana railway station after 6 pm.”

Due to protests, the railway authorities had decided to halt the trains at different railway stations. However, no train was stationed at the Ludhiana Railway Station during the nationwide protest today.

According to information, the services were affected between 6 am to 6 pm. Station Superintendent at the Ludhiana Railway Station, Ashok Singh Salaria said, “Around 10 trains were late due to protests. These were halted at different stations. New Delhi-Amritsar Shatabdi Express train was cancelled today. The train services were to be resumed after 6 pm.”

The government and private buses remained off road today. A passenger at Ludhiana bus stand, Raghubir said, “I had information about the protests but I had no idea that the bus service will remain shut today. I have to go to Malerkotla. Now, I came to know that the bus service will be resumed in the evening after the end of protests. Thus, I am waiting here for bus.”

The various unions of government buses’ staff and private operators had extended their support to the farmers protesting against the farm laws. Shamsher Singh of the PUNBUS Contract Workers Union, Ludhiana Depot, said, “We extended our full support to the farmers. The buses were not operated today.”

Jaswinder Singh Grewal, general secretary of the Small Scale District Bus Operators Association, Punjab, said they extended support to the farmers. “The staff did not ply buses. We are supporting farmers.”