Few takers for PRTC bus service

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, August 27

The PRTC has resumed its bus services from the Bathinda bus stand but city residents are still apprehensive of stepping out from their houses.

However, the private bus operators have not started plying their buses.

The PRTC’s decision to start bus service has come as a big relief for the passengers stranded midway for the last three days.

Harish Kumar, a passenger from Bengaluru, said, “We have been stuck in the city for the last three days. Luckily, we all are fine and the authorities have succeeded in maintaining the law and order situation.”

“We will remember this tale throughout our whole life and narrate to our children how we spent these three days in Punjab,” he added.

Jyotsna, another passenger, said, “Luckily, we have enough cash with us, due to which we were able to take a hotel room on rent. We had known that a number of hotels did not have debit card swapping machines and even the ATM’s were closed.”

Jaspreet Kaur, another city resident, said, “Although, it’s a good initiative taken by the administration to resume the bus services, they haven’t made proper arrangements from the security point of view, because of which we are not taking any risk by travelling in these buses.”

Private Bus Operator’s Union president Baltej Singh said, “We resumed the bus services but due to lack of passengers we are not even able to generate enough revenue to bear the cost of fuel. So, we have decided to wait for at least two more days before resuming the bus service.”

Sita Ram, superintendent, PRTC, said, “We have resumed bus service on most routes but due to lack of passengers we are plying buses only on those routes on which there are passengers.”