A major demand of the protesting workforce is the regularisation of contractual staff.

Punjab Bus Services to Halt Today as Contract Workers Launch Strike Against KM-Based Scheme

Bus operations across Punjab are expected to face major disruptions today (November 17) as workers of Punjab Roadways, PUNBUS, and PRTC begin a statewide strike at 12 noon. The protest has been called by the Punjab Roadways, PUNBUS and PRTC Contract Worker Union, according to the union’s statement.

Union representatives allege that the state government is attempting to introduce private bus operators under the km-based scheme—a move they claim will lead to financial losses for the state exchequer and weaken the public transport network. According to union leaders, the government has ignored repeated objections raised by contractual workers.

A major demand of the protesting workforce is the regularisation of contractual staff. Union members say that nearly half of the transport workforce remains contractual and that prolonged uncertainty over job security has left them with no option but to intensify the agitation.

Beginning at 12 pm, workers will stop all Punjab Roadways, PUNBUS, and PRTC buses, a decision communicated by depot committees who have been instructed to remain stationed at their respective depots. The first phase of the protest will be held outside the residence and head office of the PRTC chairman and managing director, as per the union’s announced schedule.

The union has also warned of a march to Chandigarh on November 18, where workers intend to stage a permanent demonstration outside the Chief Minister’s residence if the government proceeds with opening the tender. According to the union, this will be their most significant escalation yet.

The dispute over the km-based scheme has been ongoing. The Punjab Government has attempted to open the tender twice before. On one occasion, just before Raksha Bandhan, workers halted buses at noon, causing widespread disruption at bus stands and prompting the government to postpone the tender. A similar situation occurred on October 23, during the Tarn Taran Assembly bypoll, when the tender was again deferred after bus services were stopped.

Currently, the Punjab Road Transport Corporation (PRTC) operates 577 routes across Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Delhi, Rajasthan, Jammu & Kashmir, and Uttarakhand. Its fleet covers 355,827 km daily and employs 3,065 staff members, including 1,755 contractual or outsourced workers, according to official PRTC data.