Orbit buses to go off roads, says Sukhbir Badal

Ruchika M. Khanna

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 2

Under attack over the alleged molestation and throwing out of a mother-daughter duo from a bus of Orbit Aviation, the flagship transport company owned by the ruling Badal family in Punjab, the management of the company has pulled all buses belonging to the company off the road.

Today their buses were stopped at Sangrur and at the main bus stand in Chandigarh by people protesting against the “highhandedness” of the employees of Orbit Aviation, in the wake of the Moga incident.

A 13-year-old girl died and her mother injured after they were thrown out of an Orbit bus in Moga on April 29.

Apprehending damage to the buses, and also because of the political ramifications for the ruling Badal family, a decision to pull off the buses was taken here this evening.  

It may be mentioned that the Opposition Congress has also given a call for protest against the transport company, in which Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal is a co-owner, by threatening to stop all buses of the company from plying in the state on Sunday.

The ruling Akali Dal has drawn flak across India, after a teenage girl and her mother were thrown out of a bus belonging to Orbit Transport, and they are seen to be losing political ground over the issue.

In a statement issued here, the management of the company said that the decision has been taken to pull off its buses "with immediate effect", as per the wishes of Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal.

“The company has also decided to call the staff operating the buses of the company for an orientation course for the period when the buses are off the road. No bus of the company will ply on the roads till the completion of the orientation course. The company has also decided to set up a helpline for convenience of passengers," said the statement issued today. 

However, this order to pull off the buses has been taken only for the Orbit Aviation buses that ply on 61 routes. The other buses, owned by transport companies, where the Badals have a share and direct and indirect interest — Indo Canadian, Dabwali Transport Company, Taj Travels, Hargobind Travels etc. — will continue to ply on the same routes as before. In all, the buses of these transport companies, in which Badals are learnt to have a shareholding, ply on almost 230 routes.