BRTS crisis: Activist writes to two legislators for revival of Metro bus service

Charanjit Singh Teja

Amritsar, August 19

A local activist has written to MLAs of the East and West constituencies to make efforts to revive the Metro bus service. The Metro bus run under the Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) has been off road since July 4.

Ironically, no local politician or ruling party member has raised their voice for the resumption of the bus service, which used to ferry around 40,000 passengers daily.

Kulwant Singh Ankhi of the Amritsar Vikas Manch demanded from the Amritsar East and Amritsar West MLAs that they must use their offices to resume the Metro bus service.

Most areas where the BRTS service was available fall under the Amritsar East and West Assembly segments.

Starting from Golden Gate, New Amritsar, Alpha One Mall, bus stand and Verka, all Metro bus stations fall under the East Assembly segment. While from Khalsa College, Guru Nanak Dev University, Sandhu Colony, Chheharta and up to India Gate, all Metro bus stations fall under the West Assembly segment.

Kulwant Singh Ankhi said, “Both legislators must be aware that the Municipal Corporation Commissioner has forwarded the file for seeking approval from the Principal Secretary, Local Bodies Department, to resume the BRTS service under changed circumstances after the company operating it left in July.”

He further said, “City residents are disappointed as even after more than month the Secretary, Local Bodies, has not given approval for the resumption of the bus service.”

“Buses are gathering rust in rain and sun. If the situation continues to remain same for a few more months, these buses would meet the same fate of the City Bus service. The withdrawal of bus service would remind commuters of the callous approach of the government towards them. Jeevan Jyot Kaur, MLA from East, and Jasbir Singh Sandhu, MLA from the West constituency, must use their offices to resume the Metro bus service at the earliest,” he said.