City bus service gets govt nod

City bus service gets govt nod
10 low-floor buses to be introduced; PRTC to operate, maintain the buses
Rajay Deep
Tribune News Service

Bathinda, May 30

The realisation of the years-long dream of the city residents to see a local bus service here came closer today after the state government cleared all decks for the introduction of the service.
According to the project details, the Municipal Corporation, Bathinda (BMC), will deposit Rs 2.5 crore with the Pepsu Road Transport Corporation (PRTC) to purchase, operate and maintain 10 non-AC low-floor city buses.
Though the modalities are yet to be finalised, it is being planned that the local buses would not only ply within the municipal limits but would also connect the city to the towns located nearby.
The point to start city bus service had been incorporated in the agenda list of the BMC for discussion in the general house meeting many a times, but due to lack of consensus among the councillors, the plan could not materialise.
However, during a meeting held on April 5 this year, the SAD-BJP councillors passed the proposal and forwarded it for approval to the state government.
During a meeting called by the secretary, Local Bodies, Punjab, today, the file was cleared and the BMC officials were allowed to start the service by appointing the PRTC as executing agency.
With the expansion of the city in all directions, the introduction of a city bus service had been the main demand of the residents for past several years. The project was drafted a number of times but could not be implemented for one reason or the other.
About six years ago, the municipal authorities had even completed all formalities to launch the service. Over two dozen bus stops with shelters were also built across the city. However, the scheme could not mature and the bus stops gradually dilapidated.
Speaking over the phone from Chandigarh, BMC Commissioner Uma Shankar Gupta confirmed that the government had approved the project. He claimed that the scheme would be operational within two months.
"We will soon deposit the required sum with the PRTC. The PRTC officials have informed that it would take nearly one-and-a-half month to get the delivery of the buses. By the time, we will work out all modalities like the renovation of the existing shelters, building new ones, routes and the bus fare," said the BMC Commissioner.