Amritsar: 6 months on, BRTS trial run confined to single corridor with six buses

The Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS), which was re-launched in December 2024 with only six Metro buses for a one-week trial run, has seen little progress even after six months. Despite having a fleet of 90 Metro buses at their disposal, the authorities have been operating only six buses, leaving thousands of daily commuters disappointed.

When the service was reintroduced on December 6 (last year) by NRI Affairs Minister Kuldeep Dhaliwal and the then MC Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Aulakh, it was projected as the beginning of a full-scale revival of the Rs 600 crore project. However, six months later, the trial run has not been expanded, and operations remain confined to a single corridor. According to officials and BRTS staff, these six buses make approximately eight to 10 trips per day, catering to nearly 2,000 passengers. Ridership has grown steadily since its re-launch, with about 2,000 people using the service daily. But the number of buses has not been increased accordingly.

Passengers have often to travel while standing due to overcrowding in buses and this always leaves them concerned about their safety. Some of the operating buses have faulty doors that do not close properly, posing a threat to commuters. Meanwhile, two major BRTS corridors in the city remain non-functional despite being ready. Though the maintenance work on the route from Verka to Kacheri Road has been completed, no buses are running on it. The third corridor – from the railway station to Batala Road — is also not operational.

The reason for the delay in expanding bus services is being cited as the shortage of manpower. Officials claim that the hiring process is underway and that more buses and additional routes will be launched in the near future. According to sources, the government is not willing to repair buses to resume service. Rather it is waiting for the launch of e-buses, proposed by the Central Government. Charging stations for e buses are being installed at the BRTS station.

The BRTS project, which was originally launched in 2016 by the then SAD-BJP government, received a huge public response. It was later neglected by the Congress government and only partially revived by Navjot Singh Sidhu during his tenure as Local Bodies Minister. In June 2023, the service was suspended altogether after the contract with the operating firm was terminated. As a result, nearly 1,000 employees lost their jobs and over 40,000 regular commuters, primarily students and office-goers, were left without a reliable public transportation.

“Despite high expectations from it, the BRTS is still far from fulfilling its purpose. The extended “trial run” and continued under-utilization of resources have become a symbol of administrative delays. With no clear timeline for full-scale service, city residents have no option but to keep their fingers crossed. The trial run was started to garner votes in the MC elections and political leadership is not keen to provide public service in the city,” said Pawan Sharma, a social activist.