After 10-yr gap, PWD likely to relay internal ISBT roads
After a gap of about a decade, the Public Works Department (PWD) is in the process to finalise the paper work to relay internal roads of Shaheed Madan Lal Dhingra Inter-State Bus Terminal (ISBT). Bus drivers have been complaining of potholes on the internal roads and were demanding to relay the stretches. They had also been demanding to undertake repair work on link roads around the ISBT but to no avail.
Gurbhej Singh, a driver, said: “They have been finding it tough to drive on the potholed roads which become pools even after a light rain. The bad roads are causing unnecessary wear and tear of vehicles.”
Commuters complain of inconvenience while travelling in a bus inside the ISBT. Harman Kaur, a passenger, said women and elderly passengers have to face a difficult time when the bus moves inside the ISBT.
Inspector Amarjit Singh, traffic in-charge of the stretch around the ISBT, said the speed of buses gets slow on the broken roads which affects the smooth flow of traffic.
Passengers and visitors frequenting the Shaheed Madan Lal Dhingra Inter State Bus Terminal (ISBT) are irked at the poor condition of the internal roads. They said despite the inconvenience faced by the people, the authorities did not bother to resolve the issue.
In August 2023, the then Deputy Commissioner Amit Talwar had deputed SDM-1 to make a note of shortcomings in the infrastructure of the ISBT. Regarding repair of roads, Talwar said he had already written a letter to the Managing Director of PUNBUS in this regard. For potholes, he had notified officials in earlier meetings, he had stated.
The condition of potholed roads has turned worse due to the high footfall of visitors and movement of buses.
Paramjit Singh, General Manager of Punjab Roadways, said the PWD would relay the internal roads of the ISBT at a cost of Rs 1.28 crore. He assured that the tendering process was in the final stage and the roadways would pay 50 per cent of the tender amount. While accepting that there was a delay in relaying the road, he said previous tenders did not materialise as less than three bidders had participated in it.
