BRTS issue unlikely to get resolved before election of new MC House in Amritsar

Tribune News Service

Charanjit Singh Teja

Amritsar, November 7

It’s now over four months since the Metro buses being run under the Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) went off the road. Over 90 buses have been gathering dust at the terminal on Verka-Vallah bypass. Workers at the bus terminal claim that the government has to pay a huge bill before resuming the service as technical snags have developed in the buses that have remained parked at the terminal for long. Ironically, there is no sign of the service being resumed as no effort in this direction is being made by the authorities. Residents and activists in the city observed that if the situation continues to remain the same for a few more months, these buses would meet the same fate as the city bus service. A fleet of 60 buses, introduced under Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM), were damaged while being parked at Mall Mandi ground.

“The tyre got punctured due to low air pressure, the engines would also get affected. These buses were parked in the open during rainy season. Their roofs and body are also getting damaged by rust. The authorities should show some concern over public money. Now, the MC elections have been announced but no one will raise the matter till the new MC House get elected,” said a BRTS worker

Before the suspension of BRTS service on July 4, over 37,000 passengers used to avail the bus service every day. The BRTS authorities had issued smart cards to over 8,000 daily passengers. Besides, a number of students from various educational institutions used to travel on these buses every day.

It is pertinent to mention here that after being run for six years on the BRTS corridor, Metro buses have been off road as one of the private firms, Swarna Satnam Transport Service, which used to operate and repair buses and take care of the terminal at Verka bypass, stopped functioning.

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