No check on pvt operators using old Mohali bus stand

MOHALI: Private bus operators continue to operate from the old bus stand at Phase VIII Mohali without any check

Updated At : 07:45 AM Mar 25, 2018 IST

The old bus stand at Phase VIII in Mohali. Tribune photo: Vicky

Akash Ghai

Tribune News Service

Mohali, March 24

Private bus operators continue to operate from the old bus stand at Phase VIII, Mohali, without any check.

Around 400 buses, being run by private operators, ply from the bus stand daily. Though the authorities at the Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA), which owns the site, prefer to remain silent on the issue of reclaiming the site, they admitted that it had been encroached upon by private bus operators.

A senior official of GMADA said the site had been earmarked as an institutional site and was worth several crores. “Everybody knows that the bus stand in question is being run under the political patronage. We wanted to repossess the site but there are some issues,” said the official.

Notably, the enforcement division of GMADA had tried to shut down the bus stand in December last year by sending its staff, along with a JCB machine, but the attempt was foiled by the private bus operators.

The bus stand was also closed for some time after the inauguration of the new ISBT at Phase 6 in December 2016. It was reopened in the first week of March last year. According to Mohali MLA Balbir Singh Sidhu, the location of old bus stand was more suitable to local residents as the new ISBT, which is far away. “I made it (old bus stand) functional following demand of local residents,” said Sidhu.

Surprisingly, the old bus stand has been permanently closed in documents of GMADA, which is barely 200 metres away from its office.

As no repair/renovation took place for years, the old bus stand building is in a shambles, bereft of even basic facilities.

“The bus stand is mainly used by daily passengers so they just come and take bus to their destinations. They are least bothered about the facilities here,” said the driver of a private bus.

400 buses ply daily

Around 400 buses, being run by private operators, ply from the bus stand daily.
The enforcement division of GMADA had tried to shut the bus stand in December last year by sending its staff, along with a JCB machine, but the attempt was foiled by the private bus operators.
Surprisingly, the old bus stand has been permanently closed in documents of GMADA, which is situated barely 200 metres from its office.