Punbus faces huge losses after its services suspended to Delhi airport

Ajay Joshi

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, December 16

Owing to the apathetic attitude of the Delhi Airport Transportation Authorities (DATA), luxury bus services of Punbus could not resumed to the IGI airport in Delhi.

A passenger, Manpreet Singh, returned disappointed from the local bus stand after he learnt that there was no roadways bus service to the IGI Airport.

“Roadways buses were not only taking less time, but were also cheap as compared to private ones,” said Manpreet, who was accompanying her sister to go to the airport.

Parneet Singh, General Manager (GM), Punbus, who returned from Delhi in the previous week after conducting several meetings with DATA said: “The airport authorities were adamant on dismissing the luxury Punjab Roadways bus services from Jalandhar to the IGI airport. However, he also assured that the same would likely to be resumed in a few days. Also, he did not produce any valid reason on why only Punbus was not allowed to ferry passengers to the airport, even after having three national tourist permits. The Punbus buses have also been restricted from deporting passengers to anywhere near the airport. For the past few days, passengers were deported 500 m away from the airport near a private hotel from where they were taken inside the airport by the airport’s shuttle service.

Recently, State Transport Minister Aruna Choudhary had said the Punbus had been allowed to ferry passengers to the IGI airport with national tourist permit. However, two of the Punbus buses were impounded by DATA last week on the grounds that these had state carriage permits which allow them to bring passengers only till the Inter-State Bus Terminal (ISBT). Afterwards, the Punjab Roadways reportedly paid Rs 8,700 to release them. The roadways authorities were reportedly told that their buses would not be allowed to enter the airport terminal and would be limited till the ISBT till they procure required documents from the airport authorities.

Other than Punbus, Indo-Canadian, a private bus service from Jalandhar to the IGI airport, has been operating in the city and due to affordable charges, Punbus was giving a tough competition to the expensive Indo-Canadian services. With nominal changes of Rs 1,150 as compared to Rs 3,000 levied by Indo-Canadian, passengers preferred to travel by the roadways Volvo buses.

Other than the previous losses, Punbus is at present facing a loss of Rs 40-50 lakh per month the GM said.

Hardeep Singh, operator at the booking counter, said: “With the suspension of the services, passengers had also been reduced. Now, only 12-15 passengers have been ferried to the Delhi ISBT, in the 43-seater buses. Previously, they used to have bookings of over 32 passengers going to the airport.