The Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS), launched in Amritsar before the 2017 Punjab Assembly elections at a cost of around Rs 550 crore, is now heading towards an unannounced closure. The project, once promoted as a modern public transport system for the holy city, has remained almost non-functional for the past several years.
Since July 2023, all 92 BRTS buses have been lying parked at the Verka bus terminal and are gradually becoming unusable due to non-operation. Equipment used for ticketing and checking at the Metro bus stations has also been removed from many stations, indicating that the system may not be revived again.
Sources said the BRTS service is likely to be replaced by the Central Government’s new electric bus project, which is expected to start by the end of this year. Under the multi-crore e-bus project, work is progressing rapidly and more than 60 per cent of the infrastructure work has already been completed by the MC’s civil wing and the PWD electrical wing.
At the Verka Bypass depot, foundation work for installing three transformers has been completed, while similar work for two transformers at Mal Mandi has also been finished. Officials said all five transformers are likely to be installed during this month. Cables for laying low-tension (LT) lines have also arrived. Meanwhile, renovation work worth Rs 3.63 crore at the City Bus Workshop in Mal Mandi is also nearing completion, with nearly 60 per cent work already done. The PWD electrical wing is expected to complete LT power supply work for charging stations by June. The municipal corporation has also written to PSPCL for increasing the electricity load. Under the project, 15 charging stations will be set up at the Verka BRTS depot and 10 charging stations at the Mal Mandi workshop. Around 60 e-buses will be stationed at Verka and 40 buses at Mal Mandi. Officials said work worth Rs 2.02 crore is being carried out for transformers and electrical infrastructure at the Verka depot, while Rs 1.39 crore is being spent at Mal Mandi. The project work had started in June last year.
However, many residents remain doubtful about the success of the new project. Over the last 12 years, two major public transport projects in the city, the City Bus Service and the BRTS, failed to deliver expected results due to poor planning and lack of proper monitoring. Social activist Pawan Sharma said the authorities should learn from past failures and ensure proper monitoring of the e-bus project. He said the project should not become another example of wastage of public funds or a source of corruption. Sharma added that routes and operations should be planned carefully according to the actual transport needs of city residents.
