Ludhiana: For those who do not have a private vehicle, commuting in Ludhiana is like negotiating a labyrinth full of obstacles. The city is notorious for its traffic snarls, with cars packed bumper to bumper and two-wheelers squeezing through impossibly narrow spaces. A good public transport system would have made a difference but the bus service has been far from dependable.The service, which is available only on three routes, will probably be discontinued from Jan 22 as the agreement with the current contractor will come to an end, said the Ludhiana Smart City Bus Services Limited board.
However, contractor Jaskirat Singh, MD, Horizon Connect Transways Private claimed that the contract would not end on Jan 22. He said, “As per the agreement, the firm has the right to continue the contract till total running of 5 lakh Kms per bus, or upon expiry of a period of nine years, whichever is later. Meaning that even upon expiry of period of nine years from the date of contract, the operator has the right to continue till attaining mileage of 5 lakh kms per bus for the particular lot of buses. Till date, none of the buses of the first lot have attained a total mileage of 5 lakh kms. Therefore, the operator has the right to continue the contract till attaining 5 lakh kms total mileage for the said lot.
The MC had handed over the fleet of 83 buses, which it received under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM), to the operator for nine years in 2015. Officials said that extension of service was unlikely due to payment issues between the contractor and the MC. Caught in a catch 22 situation, an MC official said that people could depend on illegal mini-buses till the government came up with its own measures. Additional commissioner Paramdeep Singh Khaira said, “When the contractor was already a defaulter and did not pay even a single penny then why will they extend this contract? The contractor said that there are many illegal mini-buses at these routes, so people will not face issues. When electric buses arrive in the days to come, people will get better service.”
The electric buses are to be provided by the Centre. According to MC officials, the Centre would also probably hire a contractor before imposition of the code of conduct for the parliamentary elections. They said that buses would start plying once charging stations were ready.
On being served termination notice, the contractor first moved a lower court and then the high court against Ludhiana City Bus Services Limited (LCBSL). Civic officials are waiting for a decision in the case, which is expected at any time. The hearing took place on Jan 5. Any further step can only be taken after the court decision. The contractor has not been paying LCBSL for buses or advertisement charges since 2018. He did not pay monthly charges to the civic body even after revision of fare. Officials claimed that every month, almost Rs 3 lakh was spent to run the buses and Rs 2.5 lakh for advertisement. They also questioned why the bus service should be extended if he would not pay in the future as well.
However, contractor Jaskirat Singh, MD, Horizon Connect Transways Private claimed that the contract would not end on Jan 22. He said, “As per the agreement, the firm has the right to continue the contract till total running of 5 lakh Kms per bus, or upon expiry of a period of nine years, whichever is later. Meaning that even upon expiry of period of nine years from the date of contract, the operator has the right to continue till attaining mileage of 5 lakh kms per bus for the particular lot of buses. Till date, none of the buses of the first lot have attained a total mileage of 5 lakh kms. Therefore, the operator has the right to continue the contract till attaining 5 lakh kms total mileage for the said lot.
The MC had handed over the fleet of 83 buses, which it received under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM), to the operator for nine years in 2015. Officials said that extension of service was unlikely due to payment issues between the contractor and the MC. Caught in a catch 22 situation, an MC official said that people could depend on illegal mini-buses till the government came up with its own measures. Additional commissioner Paramdeep Singh Khaira said, “When the contractor was already a defaulter and did not pay even a single penny then why will they extend this contract? The contractor said that there are many illegal mini-buses at these routes, so people will not face issues. When electric buses arrive in the days to come, people will get better service.”
The electric buses are to be provided by the Centre. According to MC officials, the Centre would also probably hire a contractor before imposition of the code of conduct for the parliamentary elections. They said that buses would start plying once charging stations were ready.
On being served termination notice, the contractor first moved a lower court and then the high court against Ludhiana City Bus Services Limited (LCBSL). Civic officials are waiting for a decision in the case, which is expected at any time. The hearing took place on Jan 5. Any further step can only be taken after the court decision. The contractor has not been paying LCBSL for buses or advertisement charges since 2018. He did not pay monthly charges to the civic body even after revision of fare. Officials claimed that every month, almost Rs 3 lakh was spent to run the buses and Rs 2.5 lakh for advertisement. They also questioned why the bus service should be extended if he would not pay in the future as well.