Illegal parking by school and college buses continues to create congestion at the Ludhiana bus stand, with these vehicles occupying spaces meant for state-operated buses, officials said.
Private buses of educational institutions parked at ISBT in Ludhiana on Sunday. (Gurpreet Singh/HT)
According to the rules, only state-run buses with valid permits are allowed to park within the terminal and operate from there, but the “unauthorised” vehicles have been violating the norms for months.
Officials said no fines or disciplinary action have been taken so far, allowing the practice to persist at the busy terminal.
Jasbinder Singh Grewal, general secretary of the Small Scale Bus Operators’ Welfare Association, said, “For the past several weeks, school, college and contract carriage buses have been parking at the ISBT without any restrictions. They occupy premium parking spaces almost every day, creating congestion and disrupting the smooth movement and operations of permitted state buses. The lack of proper vigilance has turned the terminal into a free-for-all zone for unauthorised vehicles.”
Grewal also warned that the situation has led to a rise in petty thefts within the terminal, leaving even legally parked state buses vulnerable despite operators paying parking and ‘adda’ fees.
“In the past week alone, spare parts of several private buses, such as flashlights and batteries, have been damaged or stolen. It is the responsibility of the private contractor collecting the ‘adda’ fee to ensure that only permitted buses enter and park inside the terminal. However, since the new contractor took charge, enforcement has visibly weakened, allowing unauthorised buses to freely occupy spaces meant for state transport buses, raising security concerns,” he added.
Parveen Kumar, general secretary of the Punjab Roadways, Punbus and PRTC Contractual Workers Union in Ludhiana, said, “School and college buses are regularly parked inside the bus stand every weekend. Most of these vehicles ferry students to educational institutions in Chandigarh and Jalandhar and remain stationed at the terminal from Saturday to Sunday, occupying parking space meant for state-run buses and adding to congestion.”
Earlier, bus stand authorities had noted that these buses were being allowed inside the terminal only temporarily during educational trips, as they faced difficulty parking outside due to lack of space. However, the issue has continued despite this temporary permission.
Rakesh Kumar, station superintendent, said, “As per norms, school and college buses cannot be parked inside the bus stand. I am currently on leave, so I am not fully aware of the present situation, but I will look into it and take the required action.”