BRTS crisis: Passengers at receiving end as Metro buses off road since July 4

Charanjit Singh Teja

Amritsar, August 7

It has been over a month since 92 Metro buses run under the Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) have gone off road. Over 37,000 passengers used to avail the bus service every day.

The BRTS authorities had issued smart cards to more than 8,000 daily passengers. Apart from this, a large number of students of various educational institutions used to travel on buses every day. Some local activists claimed that thousands of residents are facing inconvenience after the suspension of the BRTS.

The BRTS was the only available public transport service in the city which was economical, comfortable and safe for passengers. With the suspension of the BRTS service, the travel cost of students and passengers has gone up four times.

“I used to take a Metro bus from Putaligarh to New Amritsar and pay Rs 10 for the journey. Now, I pay Rs 20 to an auto-rickshaw for going to bus stand and the same amount to reach New Amritsar. The bus is economical and safe for women,” said Komal, a resident of Putligarh.

“As per the government data, 37,000 passengers availed the bus service daily. The number includes around 10,000 students, workers and servicemen who used to travel on buses daily. Actually, a large section of society was using the service that was suspended last month. No minister, MLA or local politician has shown concern for such an important issue, which has affected lakhs of people,” said Naresh Johar, a social activist.

The Metro buses have been off road since July 4. One of the private firms, Swarna Satnam Transport Services, which used to operate and repair buses and take care of the bus terminal at the Verka bypass, stopped functioning. The government had imposed a penalty of around Rs 2 crore on the private firm for allegedly taking more fuel than the actual consumption. Instead of paying the penalty, the company ended its contract.

Municipal Corporation Commissioner Sandeep Rishi made efforts to make temporary arrangements to ply buses until the government could find any solution to the crisis but did not succeed.

Drivers hold demonstration

The BRTS drivers, who were outsourced by Swarna Satnam Transport Services, staged a demonstration and held a march for their demand to resume the bus service today. The drivers alleged that the state government was not willing to continue the project. They demanded that instead of hiring private firms for operating the service, the government should take over the project.