Deflated PRTC limps on, awaits rescue

Gagan K. Teja in Patiala

THERE’S so much relentlessly holding off about Pepsu that each time you travel by a Pepsu Road Transport Corporation (PRTC) bus, you’d think if it was avoidable. Among the many Pepsu significations are its history, its journey into a loss-making unit, and, the political and administrative snags that have landed it into a financial write-off zone. 

Ask Jasmine Kohli, a lawyer, she’d tell you why she is happy paying Rs 190 to a Volvo — instead of Rs 70 to a PRTC bus — for a Patiala-Chandigarh trip. “An AC Volvo is any day more comfortable.” On the other hand, there are people like Sandeep Singh of Baran village. He says if PRTC can provide some AC buses in the same fare structure, he could afford it, especially in the scorching summer. 

But how can PRTC, since it also carries a history of mismanagement? 

From bad to worse…

Started in 1956, the public transport company has been so badly managed that in 2014, the Punjab and Haryana High Court directed it to sell off its properties to clear its dues. The directions were based on 100 cases of contempt of court for defaulting on mandatory payment of about Rs 120 crore to its employees. The PRTC had even floated tenders inviting bids for its two prime properties, including an 8.45-acre head office in Patiala and around 818 sq yards of the Phagwara bus stand on the Jalandhar-Delhi highway to settle its dues.

The corporation’s liabilities — and political interference — have only increased over the years. Its employee strength has swelled from 345 employees to 3,742 in the six decades. The monthly salary bill is Rs 9 crore, plus there are 4,350 pensioners to whom it is paying a monthly sum of about Rs 6.80 crore. 

As per government data, the corporation’s current monthly earning is Rs 38.98 crore against its total expenditure of Rs 46.23 crore. The PRTC is yet to receive about Rs 100 crore from the Punjab Government against free/concessional travel facilities for different categories of passengers.

Public versus private

Nirmal Singh Dhaliwal, general secretary of the PRTC Workers’ Union and All-India Trade Union Congress (Punjab) blames policies of the former SAD-BJP government. “When SAD came to power in 1997, the government amended the transport policy drastically. The corporation decided to run integral coach buses from all major cities to Chandigarh, but the UT administration refused. The proposal was shelved,” says Dhaliwal.  

When the SAD-BJP returned to power, the ratio of PRTC and private buses was 40:60. “To save PRTC’s income, there were a few monopoly routes, but private transporters usurped these too,” said Dhaliwal.

Many private transporters have managed to get their routes extended by ‘twisting’ the 1990 transport policy. As per the policy, a maximum extension of 24 km can be given on a permit depending on demand. But the authorities have given multiple extensions, 24 km at a time, and many such routes are being converted into long routes, causing losses to the state-run corporation. Government sources say there are over 1,700 such permits. 

Addition of new buses

The PRTC has added 350 new buses over the last two years. This has helped the management in overcoming a part of financial liabilities amounting to Rs 400 crore at one time. The corporation, sources say, still needs new buses since about 30% of buses in its fleet are obsolete. 

PRTC managing director Manjit Singh Narang says the management was working overtime to get the corporation stand on its feet. “We have sought help from the government. Once we receive our pending dues of about Rs 100 crore, we’d be able to clear our backlog. We want to replace over 300 buses and add about 50 HVAC buses,”says Narang.