Punjab to have 8 new bus stands : Kohar

Punjab will get as many as eight bus stands in next three years at an estimated cost of Rs 36.25 crore, state transport minister Ajit Singh Kohar said today.
The proposed bus stands would be set up at Sirhind, Bhawanigarh, Bajakhana, Samana, Sunam, Malerkotla, Fatehgarh Sahib and Ahmedgarh, Kohar said in a release issued here.
He said that the work on Rama Mandi and Faridkot bus stands were in advanced stage of completion.
To improve efficiency and bring in transparency in the working of state-owned bus operator Pepsu Road Transport Corporation (PRTC), he said the process to introduce the Integrated Depot Management System (MIS) has been initiated.

For this a detailed project report for seeking grant-in-aid from the Centre has been prepared by the Central Institute of Road Transport (CIRT), Pune.
With the implementation of this system, PRTC was expected to save 15 to 20 per cent in its administrative cost as well as reduction in expenditure on maintenance of the fleet.

It is also expected that it will bring improvement in PRTC, resulting in expected increase in revenue by at least 10 per cent and decrease in the expenditure by 8 to 10 per cent, the minister said.
He said the total revenue of PRTC during the year of 2013-14 was Rs 367.12 crore as against revenue of Rs 340.83 crore in 2012-13.

Free or concessional travelling provided to various categories was to the tune of Rs 83.89 crore in 2013-14 as against Rs 72.93 crore of such traveling in 2012-13, he said.