Over 1,700 buses of Punjab Roadways go off road, passengers at receiving end

Tribune News Service

Patiala, Muktsar, Dec 16

Commuters were at the receiving end as employees of Punjab Roadways went on a strike over alleged hiring of unskilled drivers by the department. Around 1,700 to 1,800 buses of Punjab Roadways remained off the roads throughout the day.

The protesting drivers and conductors said the department had recruited 28 untrained drivers through outsourcing. The roadways has its depots in Ferozepur, Pathankot, Moga, Hoshiarpur, Amritsar, Ludhiana and Anandpur Sahib among other places.

Punjab Roadways, Punbus, PRTC Contract Workers’ Union vice-president Harkesh Vicky said the workers had started the protest over alleged hiring of 28 untrained outsourced drivers. “They are hiring untrained drivers through outsourcing. We are against such hiring as driving public buses is a matter of public safety. The drivers should be well-trained,” he said.

The drivers, conductors and employees at the workshops had suspended work since Thursday afternoon. They continued their strike on Friday as well, as a result of which, bus services of Punjab Roadways and Punbus remained suspended.

Shamsher Singh, general secretary of the union, said the workers want the state government to increase their salaries as was decided during Congress rule. He said, “The then state government had decided to increase our salaries by 5 per cent every year. But the management of the department is yet to process it. The increment was due in October.”

The union leaders alleged that officials were paying different salaries to conductors at the same post. “They should pay them same salaries”, they added. The workers said they had decided to continue the strike till Tuesday.

In Muktsar, passengers had to face a lot of hardships today due to protest of the Punbus Contractual Workers’ Union. The protesters blocked the entrance of the local bus stand and did not allow any bus to leave or enter till afternoon.

The protesters said they were against hiring some drivers on outsourcing basis in Ropar and Nangal.

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