Bus service in Punjab affected as PRTC, Punbus contractual workers go on strike

Tribune News Service

Ravneet Singh

Patiala, June 27

A protest launched by contractual workers of the Pepsu Road Transport Corporation (PRTC) and PUNBUS on Tuesday left bus service in the state crippled.

The workers on Tuesday shut the functioning of 27 depots of PRTC and PUNBUS leaving commuters stranded.

The PRTC and PUNBUS workers had announced the protest in advance. A week ago, the PRTC contractual workers had protested against the PRTC’s decision to hire over 200 private buses under the kilometre scheme. The protest was lifted but the workers decided to hold another protest over the matter and other concerns and also shut the functioning of 27 bus depots in the state on Tuesday.

As a result, the buses running under the PRTC and PUNBUS were stranded at the bus depots after the contractual workers reached the depots and locked the gates of the premises as early as 4 am on Tuesday. They did not let the buses leave the premises.

An employee of the PRTC said, “Merely 5 to 7 per cent of the PUNBUS and PRTC buses being driven by regular employees are running. The rest have been halted.”

Commuters who reached the Patiala bus stand had to leave the premises as no buses reached there to ferry commuters.

Harkesh Vicky of the contractual workers of the PRTC said the PRTC administration had failed to fulfil their demands. “They have failed to regularise the services of contractual workers, increase the pay of workers hired on less pay, failed to cancel the tenders to hire private buses under the kilometre scheme that we have been protesting against, and rehire laid-off employees among others,” he said.

He said the PRTC management had also failed to implement various demands that were accepted during previous meetings. “Therefore, out of protest, the workers rendered the functioning of 27 depots of PRTC and PUNBUS shut in the entire state,” he said.

The workers are set to hold a meeting with officials from the state transport department on Tuesday. 

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