Residents ride rickety bus over department plans

LUDHIANA: Tall claims, unfulfilled promises and bouncy rides seem to be the synonym of state transport department. Though the department officials are ready with their expansion plans, residents are forced to travel by buses that have completed their road life but are still plying.
Highly placed officials in the department said because of poor condition and insufficient buses, the private vehicles are managing the show and earning profit.In this scenario, the students face the brunt.
District president of Panjab Student Union Arun said, “Most of the students from Jagraon and other nearby areas come here for studies. They get the pass made. But there are limited state transport buses. Hence, the pass should be valid in private buses too or the state should introduce more buses for us.”
He further said, “We have been fighting a battle from the past many years. But neither have they introduced more buses nor discussed the matter with private transport bus operators.”
Admitting that “all our buses have completed the time”, general manager of Punjab Roadways RS Grewal said, “But they are not in a bad condition and are fit for the roads.”
Although it has been announced that in the year, 2010-11, 300 new buses — 225 passenger and 75 AC — would be introduced, so far nothing has been done in the direction.
Residents are still waiting with their fingers crossed. Jaswant Singh, a daily commuter, said, “I actually prefer Roadways buses because they do not stop many times on the way and I reach Jalandhar in merely half an hour. But because there is no bus from the bus-stand, I am forced to go to bye-pass to board it.”
According to information, in the year 2008-09, the buses reportedly met with 265 accidents, out of which 59 were major fatal accidents. Moving onto the Ludhiana Bus Depot, all the 57 buses of Punjab Roadways running from the depot have completed their road life. Similarly, in the past 10 years, the fleet of buses of Pepsu Road transport has come down from 175 to 66. The road life of bus is generally 5.25 lakh km or seven years. Thereafter, the departmental committee checks the condition of buses and decides on its future.