Luxury bus service resumes from Jalandhar to Delhi airport
THE ROADWAYS HAS PROCURED NATIONAL TOURIST PERMIT TO PLY THREE VOLVO BUSES FROM JALANDHAR TO THE IGI AIRPORT
JALANDHAR/LUDHIANA: Nearly three-weeks after state-run buses from Punjab were banned from plying to Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi, the service resumed on Friday from Jalandhar after the government procured the requisite permit. A Volvo bus left from Jalandhar depot-1 near the inter state bus terminal here for the IGI Airport at 3:30pm with 35 passengers on-board .
The state government had to withdraw state-run roadways and Pepsu Road Transport Corporation (PRTC) buses to the IGI Airport after Delhi Transport Authorities (DTA) impounded several buses last month for they didn’t have the valid permit to pick and drop passengers at the airport.
The Delhi Transport Authorities had impounded three buses of Jalandhar depot last month and roadways had to pay a fine of ₹5,000 per bus to get them released.
Punjab Roadways general manager, Jalandhar depot-1, Parneet Singh Minhas confirmed the development, saying, “We have resumed the service to the airport but passengers will be able to board the bus from airport Monday onward. Passengers can also board the bus from Ludhiana provided they book the ticket online. The buses will pick passengers from Sherpur Chowk in Ludhiana.”
He said roadways has procured the national tourist permit to ply three Volvo buses from Jalandhar to Delhi airport to carry out the service.
Buses will ply to Delhi from Roadway depot-1 instead of the Jalandhar bus stand.
CHANGE IN TIME AND FARE
The transport department has also changed timing and fare of the buses.
Now, the Jalandhar depot will run buses to the airport at 6:50am, 11am and 3:30 pm, while the return time from Delhi will be 12:30am, 2am and 3:30am.
Officials said earlier 10 luxury buses of roadways used to ply to the IGI Airport from Jalandhar and Ludhiana, in addition to 15 of PRTC. A ticket will now cost ₹1,100 against the ₹1,065 charged earlier.