MC plans to resume BRTS service, trial run shortly
The Municipal Corporation is set to resume the Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) in the city, which has been off road since July 4, 2023. Initially, the Municipal Corporation will operate a limited number of buses on trial basis. Efforts are underway after a gap of one and a half years to restart the bus service that used to ply in the city. These buses would now be operated under the supervision of the Amritsar Municipal Corporation instead of Punjab Municipal Infrastructure Development Company (PMIDC).
Municipal Commissioner Gulpreet Singh Aulakh stated that the decision to restart the motor bus service has been taken by the higher authorities and the trial run will commence shortly. Preparations are being made to bring the buses back into service after addressing minor errors. A number of buses are not in working condition as the fleet has been lying off road for more than a year. In the first phase, a few buses will operate on trial basis, with their number increasing gradually, stated MC officials. The meeting to discuss the resumption of service was attended by officials of Punjab Metro Bus Society, MC and other stakeholders.
The Rs 600 crore Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) project was launched in 2016 by the then SAD-BJP government a few months before the assembly elections. It got an overwhelming response initially but after the change in government, it was ignored by the then Congress government. Navjot Singh Sidhu re-launched it during his term as Minister for Local Bodies. Despite facing several challenges, the project continued until June 2023, when the contract of one of the firms, which operated the service, was terminated, resulting in the suspension of service. Around 1,000 employees associated with the project lost their jobs, and over 40,000 people, mainly students and working professionals, were deprived of the service. With the resumption of service, the residents of the city can once again hope to avail the facility of this convenient mode of transportation. No specific date has been announced yet but keeping the MC elections in view, it is expected that the service may resume next week.
