Punjab Roadways, PRTC employees’ protest brings focus on Kilometre Scheme

The state-wide protest by contractual workers of the Punjab Roadways and the Pepsu Road Transport Corporation (PRTC) on Friday has brought in spotlight the controversial Kilometre Scheme of the Transport Department.

Despite the protest, the department on Friday opened the tenders of the scheme for nearly 180 buses, said a senior government functionary.

Under the scheme, the state government allows private operators to supply buses on lease while operations are managed by the Transport Department using government conductors. Private owners are paid a fixed rate per kilometre.

A PRTC official said under the scheme, a private operator buys a bus and gives it on lease to the Transport Department. The private operator, who employs the driver, gets compensated at a rate of nearly Rs 9 per km. The government bears the cost of the fuel and the salary of the conductor.

The initiative was intended to expand the bus fleet quickly, as the department has failed to purchase new vehicles

However, employee unions argue that the policy effectively advances privatisation, increases job insecurity and deprives contractual workers of the opportunity of permanent employment.

Questioning the legality of the scheme, JS Grewal, general secretary of the Small Scale Welfare Bus Operators Association, said, “As per a 2016 order of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, it has been pointed out that the grant of permits to the state transport undertakings under the Kilometre Scheme cannot be used by any private player, as it violates provisions of the Road Transport Corporation Act, 1950.”

However, a senior government functionary said opinion of the Advocate General had been taken before floating the tenders.

Grewal further claimed that private bus operator mafia was behind pushing the scheme. “The private buses under the scheme are owned by influential persons, including senior officials of the Transport Department,” he added.