Commuters across the district faced inconvenience on Wednesday as buses operated by PRTC and Punbus remained off the roads following an indefinite strike by contractual employees. Across Punjab, around 4,700 workers, including 350 from Amritsar Depot 1 and Amritsar Depot 2, participated in the strike.
Only Punjab Roadways buses, numbering fewer than 15 across the district, and private buses were available for passengers at the Shaheed Bhagat Singh Inter-State Bus Terminal.
With severe heatwave conditions prevailing, passenger traffic was already low as many people avoided unnecessary travel. Only those with urgent, essential or emergency work ventured out, giving the bus stand a deserted appearance.
Kuljit Singh said around 170 buses belonging to the two depots remained off the roads. Agitating employees staged a protest at the Punjab Roadways workshop and prevented Punbus and PRTC buses from leaving for the bus stand.
The strike has been called under the banner of the Punjab Roadways, Punbus and PRTC Contract Workers Union (Punjab) in protest against the induction of private buses under the kilometre scheme.
He said the strike, initially scheduled from June 22 to 24, was advanced after Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema flagged off five Volvo buses operating under the Punbus kilometre scheme for the Delhi airport route from Chandigarh on Tuesday.
Viewing the move as a step towards privatisation of the state-run transport sector, the union advanced its protest and launched an indefinite statewide strike from June 9.
Union leaders said they had strongly opposed the operation of private buses under the kilometre scheme during previous talks with the government. They alleged that despite repeated assurances that their concerns would be considered, the government proceeded with the scheme, prompting workers to intensify their agitation.
The employees argued that instead of bringing private operators into public transport, the government should strengthen Punbus and PRTC by adding more state-owned buses and filling vacant posts. They are also demanding regularisation of services, implementation of equal pay for equal work, reinstatement of dismissed employees, withdrawal of cases registered during earlier protests, and better welfare benefits for outsourced workers.
