Contractual workers of Punjab's state-run transport corporations have resumed their agitation just a day after calling it off, alleging that the state government has failed to deliver on its key promises. The renewed protest has severely disrupted bus services across several districts, leaving commuters stranded.
Broken Promises Trigger Renewed Agitation
The employees of Punjab Roadways, Punbus, and the Pepsu Road Transport Corporation (PRTC) returned to the protest lines on Monday. They stated that the assurances given by Transport Minister Laljit Singh Bhullar during a marathon meeting on Sunday were "not been implemented on the ground." Union members highlighted that neither had their detained colleagues been released, nor had official orders for reinstating suspended and terminated staff reached the depots.
Union leader Gurpreet Singh claimed that operations of over 2,000 state-run buses were affected, with around 1,900 Punbus and Roadways buses and about 500 PRTC buses remaining off the roads. The government's failure to honour its promise to release all arrested employees was cited as the primary reason. The union also reiterated its demand to cancel the tenders for the ‘Kilometre scheme' buses, scheduled to be opened on December 2.
Severe Disruption in Bus Operations
The impact on public transport was immediate and widespread. PRTC officials reported that only around 700 out of its fleet of nearly 1,181 buses were operational by Sunday evening and early Monday. PRTC Managing Director B S Shergill noted that around 700 buses were running until afternoon, with efforts ongoing to increase numbers after warning notices were issued to protesting employees.
The protest had earlier escalated into violence, leading to arrests. Ten protesters were arrested each in Sangrur and Patiala and sent to judicial custody. In Patiala, a clash occurred between protesters and union members, while in Sangrur, protesters had splashed petrol on police officers on the first day of the protest. The injured officer is now stable. Patiala SSP Varun Sharma confirmed the arrested protesters remain in custody. The PRTC had terminated 22 protesters—10 involved in the Sangrur violence and 12 in the Patiala clash—and issued warning notices to 600 others.
Commuters Bear the Brunt, Core Demains Outlined
Commuters travelling between major hubs like Patiala, Chandigarh, Mohali, and Ludhiana faced long waits and overcrowding, forced to rely on a limited number of government buses and private operators.
The protesting contractual drivers and conductors have a clear set of demands:
- Release of all detained workers.
- Reinstatement of employees suspended or terminated during the agitation.
- Regularisation of long-serving contractual staff.
- Opposition to the kilometre-based bus scheme, which they fear will allow private operators on government routes and weaken state transport undertakings.
Union representatives stated that the strike would only be fully withdrawn after the detained workers return to their depots and written reinstatement orders are issued. They also seek firm assurances that the Kilometre scheme will not be expanded at the cost of existing government fleets and jobs.
The Sunday meeting, attended by Minister Bhullar and senior officials, had announced an understanding to end the strike. Bhullar had promised the reinstatement of suspended staff, taking back dismissed employees, and adding 1,000 new buses to the state fleet without threatening contractual jobs. Officials had indicated that demands for regularisation would be considered per existing policy, while unions agreed not to interfere with administrative decisions on the Kilometre scheme. The resumption of protests indicates a significant trust deficit between the workers and the administration.
