Pvt bus operators begin using old bus stand in Mohali again

Akash Ghai

Advertisement

Tribune News Service

Mohali, March 14

In the absence of any check, private bus operators have started plying their buses from the town’s old bus stand on their own at Phase VI.

On the other hand, several transport buses to different destinations continue to skip the newly constructed Banda Bahadur Inter State Bus Terminus at Phase VI, putting the commuters to inconvenience daily.

During their random visit tothe old bus stand, the Tribune team found around five to six private buses were parked there, waiting for passengers to different destinations.“We have been picking up passengers from here (old bus stand) for around fortnight”, said a conductor of a private bus.

When asked about any checking by any official concerned, he just smiled. “Tusi kithe jaana, eh dasso (where do you want to go, just tell this)”, said the conductor. Notably, after inauguration of the new ISBT at Phase VI on December 16 last year, it is illegal to use this place as bus stand.

“Who bothers”, said a driver of another private bus.

When contacted, Varun Roojam, the Chief Administrator of Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA), said that he got verbal complaints in this regard recently.

“Certainly, using of the old bus stand by the private bus operators is illegal. I will talk to the higher authorities of the state’s Transport Department and local officials concerned to take action in this regard”, said Roojam.

He added that when the new bus stand was in place, the operations of the private buses should be stopped immediately from the old bus stand.

Avinash Sharma, the general manager of C&C Constructions Ltd, confirmed that the new bus stand was witnessing drop in the arrival of private buses, here. “The drop in private buses from about 260 to about 170 is being noticed of late. Before activation of the old bus stand, the number of total buses plying through the new ISBT was about 615 but now the number has been reduced to 525”, said Sharma.

“Not only private buses but several government buses usually skip the new bus stand, apparently due to lethargic approach of the officials concerned”, said some bus passengers, here.

“We don’t know why the transport authorities are not taking interest in running the new bus stand smoothly. Several buses to different destinations don’t even enter the new bus stand on many occasions, leaving the passengers a harassed lot. Now after starting operations at the old bus stand, passengers here are a confused lot”, said Sanjiv Kumar, a local resident.