Ludhaina: Interstate bus services may see normalcy, say officials
After two days of partial suspension due to heightened tensions along the India-Pakistan border, inter-state and night bus services operated by Punjab Roadways from Ludhiana may return to normalcy, officials said. The development follows a ceasefire announcement between the two nations on Saturday evening and the anticipated improvement in the security situation, officials familiar with the matter said.
Bus services on interstate routes connecting Ludhiana to Jammu-Katra and Rajasthan had been partially suspended since Friday. Officials confirmed that three buses bound for Jammu and Katra were terminating in Pathankot, while two buses to Rajasthan's Sriganganagar were running only up to Abohar. However, services on these routes will now be gradually restored in phases, officials added. However, later in the evening, ceasefire violations were reported at several places, indicating that the process may be delayed.
Night-time operations on high-demand routes, such as Jalandhar, Amritsar, Fazilka, Ferozepur and Pathankot, which were impacted by a sharp decline in passenger footfall, will be resumed, officials said. Earlier, the buses on these routes used to carry over 100 passengers, a number which had plummeted to just 20 to 30 commuters.
Notably, while buses continued to run on these routes, the number of operating vehicles was reduced due to low ridership and the need to reserve buses for any emergency response. Meanwhile, amid the heightened security tension, confusion prevailed among many frontline bus workers due to lack of clear operational guidance. 'After reports of a drone strike in Ferozepur, we didn't know whether services would continue on Saturday morning as no clear instructions were issued,' said Parveen Kumar, conductor on the Ludhiana to Ferozepur route.
A senior Punjab Roadways official, seeking anonymity, clarified that while no formal directive was issued for route suspensions, depots have the autonomy to adapt to local conditions. 'There has been no official announcement regarding route curtailment. But the concerned depots are authorised to make such decisions based on the prevailing situation. Once the situation improves, we will reassess our all operations in coordination with local administrations and resume full services where feasible,' the official explained.
Navraj Batish, general manager of Punjab Roadways, said, 'The Jammu-bound routes were the worst hit over the past two days due to low passenger numbers and security issues. Consequently, buses on these routes are currently operating only up to Pathankot, unable to continue further because of insufficient demand. We had previously strengthened security measures on sensitive routes to ensure that passengers and staff safety remains our top priority.'
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