Setting a three-day deadline to remove drug-promoting advertisements from buses, and improving department’s functioning, Punjab’s newly-appointed Transport Minister Amarinder Singh Raja Warring on Tuesday send across a clear message to the department officials that they have to be on their toes to provide smooth ride and hassle-free facilities to the commuters across the state.
The Minister has also launched his personal WhatsApp number 94784-54701 seeking any kind of complaint or suggestions. He appealed to the public to immediately share information or pictures on this number whenever they found any lack of facility or violations in government buses.
Warring, presiding over a weekly performance review meeting of RTA secretaries and General Managers of bus depots, also informed that 842 more buses would be added to the fleet of government buses soon to strengthen the public transport service. However, the first consignment of 250 buses would reach the State by the end of this month, while 592 buses would be delivered by the end of November, he added.
“The tender for procuring 842 buses has already been floated and the officials of the department and companies have been directed to take further action at the earliest to ensure that the buses should be on roads within this calendar year,” he said. Issuing strict instructions to boost cleanliness drive of the bus stands launched recently, the Minister asked the authorities to ensure cleanliness in the bus stands fortnightly.
“Complaints of negligence by the contractors have been received during the recent visits to the bus stands, hence the General Manager would issue show cause notices to such contractors who found violating the terms and conditions of the cleaning manual and impose penalty for repeating violations,” he said while directing that action should also be taken to remove illegal encroachments outside bus stands.
He directed the General Managers to ensure the cleanliness of the buses by checking at least five buses daily besides removing all the advertisements promoting tobacco products and other drugs from the public transport services by the next Friday.
He also instructed the secretaries RTAs to ensure video-graphy of the buses they impound operating illegally.