Jalandhar: Passengers of the state-owned PRTC were “forcibly” asked to board a bus of Orbit company, owned by the Badals, near PAP Chowk on the national highway-1 on .
Musclemen of the company allegedly stopped the Bathinda-bound PRTC bus and told the passengers to board their bus. Though the PRTC bus driver and the conductor pleaded with the passengers that the bus would complete the journey, the musclemen managed to impress upon the passengers to board the private bus.
The driver and the conductor called the police control room number. No policemen, however, came for help. Later, they reached the Rama Mandi police station and submitted a written complaint.
Rama Mandi ASI Charanjit said both parties had been called to the police station on Tuesday. Punjab Transport Minister Ajit Singh Kohar termed the incident “wrong” and assured that strict action would be taken against erring persons. Kaputhala PRTC general manager MP Singh couldn’t be contacted.
Sukhbir Orbit is the biggest stakeholder in state public trasport and often is in clash with govt owned roadways. Of the 7,500 buses plying on Badal family Punjab roads for public transport today, nearly 4,000 belong to the private operators giving them a 60 per cent share. Punjab Roadways, PRTC and its subsidiaries — Punbus and Kilometre Scheme — all put together have only 3,500.
Deputy Chief Minister, have managed to control an even larger share of the expanding private-sector pie.