Former District Congress Committee president Pawan Dewan has strongly criticised the Municipal Corporation (MC) of Ludhiana for the collapse of the City Bus Service project. In a statement, Dewan said the failure of the project highlights the MC's chronic mismanagement and lack of vision.
Project launched under JNNURM in 2015
The City Bus Service was launched in January 2015 under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) to modernise urban transport in Ludhiana. However, the project ended in chaos after the nine-year contract with a private operator concluded in January 2024.
Dewan said the MC treated the project as a one-time showcase rather than a continuously managed public service. He said the civic body's negligence has deprived citizens of accessible low-floor buses designed for all age groups, especially senior citizens and differently abled persons.
No replacement plan after contract expiry
When the contract ended in January 2024, the MC had no alternative transport plan in place. Dewan said no replacement service was announced even as the city faces rising pollution and traffic congestion. He described the situation as not merely a transport crisis but a civic betrayal.
“The MC’s inability to execute things properly has left the city without a reliable bus service. For a city that desperately needs clean, efficient public transport, the corporation’s negligence has turned progress into paralysis,” Dewan said.
Idle buses at Hambran Road depot
Dewan pointed out that dozens of buses are now lying idle and rotting at the Hambran Road depot. He said daily commuters bear the fallout of the project’s collapse. According to Dewan, the project was a progressive step towards inclusive public transport, but the civic body dismantled it instead of protecting and expanding the people-friendly fleet.
Dewan urges MP Warring to raise issue in Parliament
Dewan demanded that Ludhiana MP Amarinder Singh Raja Warring raise the issue in the upcoming monsoon session of Parliament. “We urge Warring to take up the matter in the Lok Sabha, pressing for immediate resumption of the City Bus Service and decisive action against civic officials responsible for its collapse,” he said.
