Hit by Rs 50-cr loss, PRTC seeks relief from government

Karam Prakash

Tribune News Service

Patiala, May 19

After incurring losses of over Rs 50 crore during the lockdown, the Pepsu Road Transport Corporation (PRTC) is set to ply more than 200 buses on 80 notified routes across the state from Wednesday.

The PRTC, which faced an average per day loss of Rs 85 lakh in the past two months, will be aiming to come back on track financially, as soon as possible.

Significantly, the buses will run with 50 per cent capacity and only after prior booking through an agent or at the ticket counter. Moreover, buses will ferry passengers only between the originating and terminating point with no stoppage on the way.

PRTC MD Jaskiran Singh said they would be running buses on notified routes only. However, the service would be expanded if there is a rush of passengers.

The PRTC is said to have been hit hard owing to the lockdown. The state-run transport corporation has already exhausted its funds because it has been paying salaries and pensions to its employees for the past two months now. He said they had already demanded financial help from the government to overcome losses incurred due to Covid-19.