Public transport across Punjab came to a near standstill on Friday morning after contractual employees of Punjab Roadways and the Pepsu Road Transport Corporation (PRTC) launched an unexpected strike. The protest erupted just hours after several union leaders were allegedly picked up by police during late-night and early-morning raids.
The sudden action triggered chaos at major bus stands, with thousands of passengers stranded as buses failed to arrive. At the Patiala bus terminal, workers closed the main entrance gate and staged a sit-in, raising slogans against the government and police.
‘Talk to us, don’t arrest us,’ say workers
Union members said they had planned a peaceful protest against the government’s decision to open tenders under the controversial Kilometre Scheme. The tenders were scheduled to be opened on Friday. However, the detentions angered workers and pushed them into an immediate statewide strike.
“We were preparing for our protest, and suddenly our leaders were taken away at night. Is this how a government deals with its own workers?” a protesting employee in Patiala told reporters.
Farmer groups join criticism
Sanyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) leader Darshan Pal condemned the alleged raids, calling them “an attack on democratic rights.”
He reminded the government that only days ago it had marked the martyrdom of Guru Tegh Bahadur with full state honour.
“And today, the same government is detaining people who are simply demanding a dialogue. This is unacceptable,” he said, urging farmer and labour unions to stand with transport workers.
Passengers left stranded
From Chandigarh to Ludhiana and from Bathinda to Amritsar, bus stands witnessed scenes of confusion and frustration. With government buses off the road, private operators briefly took advantage of the rush, but most commuters still struggled to find a ride.
Daily travellers between Patiala, Chandigarh, Mohali, and Zirakpur reported overcrowded buses and long waiting lines.
“We somehow reached yesterday when buses were diverted for the martyrdom day event. Today, there are barely any buses at all,” said commuters Dinesh Verma, Pardeep Dhingra and Gurpreet Singh.
Why workers oppose the Kilometre Scheme
Transport employees have been protesting the Kilometre Scheme for months. They argue that the policy allows private operators to run buses on routes traditionally reserved for government transport.
According to workers, the scheme will:
- Open the door to large-scale privatization,
- Reduce government jobs,
- Burden passengers with higher fares, and
- Weaken the already struggling state-run transport network.
“This is a backdoor entry for private buses,” one union member said. “Once private operators take over, government jobs will vanish.”
What happens next
With protests intensifying and services already crippled, pressure is mounting on the state government to hold talks with the workers and release the detained leaders.
For now, there is no clarity on when normal bus services will resume, leaving thousands of commuters uncertain about their travel plans across the state.