Around 42 % unused inter-state permits, shortage of buses add to CTU’s bumpy ride

As per the official records, service to Delhi, which is the most popular route, is the worst hit. Out of 29 permits, CTU is only using 14. Similarly, only four permits out of eight for Shimla are being utilised. Against seven permits for Haridwar, only one is used. Three permits out of six for Jwalamukhi remain unused.
Reason: shortage of buses. CTU currently has a fleet of 470 buses which are operating from its four depots. The fleet comprises standard size buses, semi-low floor non-AC buses, AC buses, low-floor AC buses, low-floor non-AC buses, and mini-AC buses.

Out of the total buses, 87 are being used for long routes. The remaining buses are used for city bus service which serve the Tricity of Chandigarh, Panchkula and Mohali, and suburban areas like Zirakpur and Kharar.

The number of long-route buses will further decline with around 40 buses scheduled to complete their life span on December 31. As per norms, a bus has a lifespan of eight years.

The inter-state bus service had taken a hit after the administration withdrew around 100 buses from long routes for city bus service in 2012 following directions from the then UT administrator Shivraj Patil.

CTU Workers’ Union president Bhupinder Singh maintains that the inter-state bus service suffered due to the wrong decision of the administration in the past. “In the past, the administration failed to buy new buses for city service despite having budget. To overcome the shortage of local buses, authorities were forced to withdraw buses from long routes to be used for city bus service,” said Singh.

Plan to purchase 200 buses

For improving its inter-state bus service, CTU has mooted a proposal for purchasing 200 buses. The proposal has been prepared considering the number of buses required for the existing permits and future requirements. CTU is in the process of starting bus service to Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand on a reciprocal basis.
Director (transport) Amit Talwar admitted that a large number of permits had been lying unused, but said that they were working on improving the inter-state bus service by overcoming the shortage of buses.

Volvo bus service
TAKING note of success of Volvo bus service of other state transports, CTU is also planning to start its own Volvo bus service. Out of 200 buses it intends to purchase, CTU has a plan to buy around 20 Volvo buses, which will be run on long routes.