Earlier, 15 buses were being operated daily between the two destinations by the state-run operators and the service was quite popular among Punjabi NRIs.
JALANDHAR: It is now over eight months that luxury bus service by public operators — Punjab Roadways and Pepsu Road Transport Corporation (PRTC) — from the Jalandhar bus stand to the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport in Delhi remains suspended. The travellers, mostly expatriates, are forced to use private bus services.
Sources in the state transport department said the Delhi government has agreed to provide a bus terminus at Dwarka, from where airport operator would further provide shuttle service. According to them, it would take a few months for the bus service to resume.
Indo Canadian Transport Company, co-owned by former deputy chief minister and Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal, remains the sole operator between Jalandhar and IGI Airport. Initially, their service was not stopped by the Delhi government. When they eventually stopped them also, the company got relief from the Delhi high court.
Earlier, 15 buses were being operated daily between the two destinations by the state-run operators and the service was quite popular among Punjabi NRIs. It was completely shut down in November 2018, when the transport department of Delhi government impounded five of their buses.
It is learnt that after rounds of talks between transport department officials of Delhi and Punjab, the former had agreed that they would notify and provide a new bus terminus with stage carriage permits at Dwarka from where airport authorities would provide shuttle service to facilitate the passengers.
Delhi government officials had blocked operation of government buses from Punjab on the ground that they had stage carriage permit and they could take passengers only from the three ISBTs in Delhi. Only buses with tourist permits could operate from other places as well.
Till 2017 assembly elections in Punjab, one of the main issues projected by the Congress was the transport business of Badals. The issue also figured in the meeting of Congress Legislature Party (CLP) on August 2. However, Sukhbir has been maintaining that the business operations of his companies were legal .
He has been claiming that his business skills and entrepreneurship have helped his businesses, including in transport sector, to expand. Official sources revealed that the average revenue per bus per trip operating to IGI Airport ranged between Rs 55,000 and Rs 60,000. Private buses charge two to three times the fare of the government buses on this route.
Punjab transport secretary K Siva Prasad was not available for comments despite repeated attempts.
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