3 yrs on, Punjab government fails to resume luxury bus service to IGI airport

Karam Prakash

Patiala, March 8

Even after over three years, the state government has failed to resume luxury bus service of state transport undertakings (STUs) from various terminals in Punjab to Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi.

Notably, private bus operators — owned by politicians and their supporters in Punjab — are plying their luxury buses continuously to the Delhi airport, but the Punjab Roadways and Pepsu Road Transport Corporation (PRTC) are yet to restart the service.

In December last year, state Transport Minister Amrinder Raja Warring, himself had visited the national capital to meet Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to get a green signal for the same. Conspicuously, things are as they were before the minister’s visit.

Awaiting meeting to sign pact

All required documents for the Reciprocal Common Transport Agreement were sent to the Delhi Government. We are waiting for a special meeting to sign the agreement. — A PRTC senior official

In 2018, the Delhi Government had banned the entry of Volvo buses of the state transport undertakings beyond the ISBT — just months after the service was started. The PRTC and state roadways buses were charging around one-third fare as compared to private buses.

Meanwhile, the sources said no meeting in that regard had taken place between the transport departments of Delhi and Punjab. A senior official of the PRTC said: “All required documents for the Reciprocal Common Transport Agreement (RCTA) were sent to the Delhi Government. We are waiting for a special meeting to sign the agreement.”

PRTC Managing Director Parneet Shergill said: “We haven’t received any communication to resume our services so far. As the issue is being taken up at the government level, I am not aware of the current status.”