Ludhiana: ‘Punjab Roadways buses plying without safety gears’

Amid an inadequate and inconsistent supply of critical spare parts, depot officials say they are being forced to keep buses on the road despite compromised safety standards

As dense fog continues to shroud highways across Punjab, Punjab Roadways buses operating from the Ludhiana depot are being pressed to operate onto roads with missing or malfunctioning safety equipment due to an acute shortage of critical spare parts, raising serious safety concerns for both daily commuters and staff, officials familiar with the matter said.

Highlighting the severity of the situation, officials said that around 10 to 15 buses have already been detained from the depot’s 92 bus fleet due to the unavailability of basic safety equipment. (HT File)

Amid an inadequate and inconsistent supply of critical spare parts, depot officials say they are being forced to keep buses on the road despite compromised safety standards. In a bid to keep operations afloat, the Ludhiana depot has been compelled to arrange essential components on credit from local vendors despite the existence of a dedicated central store meant to supply spare parts to all 18 Punjab Roadways depots across the state, officials said.

Highlighting the severity of the situation, officials said that around 10 to 15 buses have already been detained from the depot’s 92 bus fleet due to the unavailability of basic safety equipment. Several other buses, however, continue to operate despite compromised safety conditions, they added.

“Ludhiana requires at least 145 buses to adequately cater to passenger demand but with a partially functional fleet, the operational burden has shifted to fewer buses, leading to heavy passenger footfalls and overcrowding, particularly during peak hours. This not only strains vehicles that are already inadequately maintained but also significantly increases the risk of mishaps, especially during foggy conditions when visibility is poor and safety equipment is critical,” officials added.

Gurpreet Baraich, secretary of the Punjab Roadways, Punbus and PRTC Contractual Workers Union said,“During dense fog, buses require fully functional wipers, fog lights, batteries, windshields and other critical components to ensure safe operations. However, there is a severe shortage of these essentials at the Ludhiana depot. This has forced the staff to arrange spare parts from local vendors on credit.”

Baraich further pointed out that earlier, the purchase department of Punjab Roadways in Chandigarh used to ensure a steady supply of spare parts to all depots. “Procurement was never supposed to be the responsibility of individual depots. However, when nearly 95% of the fleet has non-functional wipers, most buses have cracked windshields and not a single fog light has been supplied this year, drivers and conductors are left with no option but to get repairs done using their own money,” Baraich added.

Echoing similar concerns, Parveen Kumar, another union member, said fog lights, which are the most critical safety component during winter, are entirely missing. “Every year, fog lights are provided by the department. This year, our depot has not received even one. Instead, laminated yellow sheets have been pasted on headlights in the name of safety,” he alleged.

Kimti Lal, general secretary of Punjab State Ministerial Staff Union, Punjab Roadways attributed the crisis to pending dues of the free travel scheme which are disbursed by the State government to Punjab Roadways on a quarterly basis.

“The root of the problem lies in the non-disbursement of the last two installments under the free travel scheme by the social security and women and child development department. Earlier, when we used to arrange spare parts on credit from local vendors, bills were generated and reimbursed by the department. But since Punjab Roadways itself has not received payments under the free travel scheme, there is no money to clear vendor dues. As a result, vendors are now refusing to supply spare parts leading to a crisis,” he added.

When contacted, Gurinder Singh, works manager at the Punjab Roadways Ludhiana depot said,“We detained two to three buses on Sunday due to the non availability of spare parts. We are arranging supplies from the local market to ensure buses continue running smoothly on routes without disruption,” he said.