Malerkotla-Ahmedgarh bus service to bring respite to passengers

Our Correspondent

Ahmedgarh, February 20

Residents of Mandi Ahmedgarh and surrounding villages breathed a sigh of relief with introduction of five shuttle routes of two buses between Malerkotla and Ahmedgarh bus stand.

At least this will solve the problem of harassment of passengers who were dropped at Pohir Chowk by long router buses earlier.

Residents of city and surrounding villages had been suffering as the buses could not reach at the local bus stops for over two decades. All appeals and requests had fallen on deaf ears of the authorities in the civil administration and the transport department.

President MC, Suraj Mohammad and former president Ravinder Puri alleged that majority of drivers and conductors of buses plying on Ludhiana Sangrur and Ludhiana Patiala road, had been dropping passengers at Pohir village instead of reaching the bus stop.

Children and women were said to be worst affected due to the tendency. “As the passengers normally do not know details about the routes of various buses, they cannot insist on being dropped at the bus stand. Under these circumstances either they have to extra money to private vehicles or walk down the town,” said Mohammad and Puri.

The Executive Magistrate, Badal Din, said, five new routes had been started between Malerkotal and Ahmedgarh. Referring to information received from the PRTC Sangrur General Manager, Harbans Singh Bhatti, Badal Din said, “Two new buses have been deployed for plying between Ahmedgarh and Malerkotla regularly for five trips a day. This besides ensuring safe travel for people commuting between localities on the route will also help stranded passengers on payment of Rs10 which is the minimum fair.”