The much-awaited Chamba-Doda bus service, which connects border communities of Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir, has failed to hit the road this year as the Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) grapples with shortages of buses and staff.
The service, launched in 2024 amid much fanfare, is the only direct public transport link between Chamba and Doda.
Its absence has left hundreds of passengers, including workers, students, traders and families with relatives across the interstate border, scrambling for alternatives. Commuters are now forced to rely on expensive taxis and private vehicles for the 168-km journey or take the far longer and inconvenient route via Pathankot or Basholi.
The route was introduced to bridge geographical and social distances between the two regions, where many families have members settled on either side of the border. It also emerged as an important transport corridor for youth from Doda and Bhaderwah travelling to Chamba for jobs in hydropower projects and for labourers moving between the two districts in search of work.
Confirming that the service would not operate this season, HRTC Chamba Regional Manager Shugal Singh cited a combination of staff shortages, an ageing fleet and frequent mechanical failures.
“It will not be possible to run the Chamba-Doda bus service due to a shortage of buses and staff. Most of our buses are old and break down frequently. Given these multiple operational challenges, we cannot take the risk of operating the service," he said.
The route had quickly become popular not only among commuters but also among tourists. Traversing the lush Bhaderwah Valley and the nearly 3,000-metre-high Padri Jot Pass, it offered one of the most scenic road journeys in the western Himalayas. The service also benefited devotees from Bhaderwah travelling to Chamba for the annual Manimahesh pilgrimage during the monsoon season.
Traditionally, the bus operated during the summer and autumn months when the Padri Jot Road remained open.
During winter, the service was curtailed up to Langera, the last inhabited village on the Himachal side, after heavy snowfall shut the high-altitude pass. This year, however, the service has failed to resume even after the route reopened.
The development has once again exposed the worsening condition of HRTC’s Chamba division. Of its fleet of 119 buses, only around 90 are roadworthy. There have also been reports of buses of Chamba depot breaking down frequently due to lack of proper maintenance.
The manpower crunch is equally severe. Nearly 60 driver posts are lying vacant. The division’s workshop functions with just 37 employees, including only one mechanic tasked with maintaining the entire fleet.
The Chamba-Doda service itself had a troubled beginning. Introduced in July 2024, it was suspended several times following terrorist incidents in the Doda region before eventually stabilising and gaining popularity among commuters.
With the route remaining off the roads this year, residents fear a vital transport lifeline linking border communities, pilgrims, workers and tourists has become yet another casualty of HRTC’s mounting fleet and manpower crisis.
