No rest rooms, no safety — duty turns into nightmare for Himachal bus staff. Will Deputy CM Mukesh Agnihotri Take up the matter with Ludhiana Administration?
LUDHIANA/SHIMLA/BILASPUR:
In a chilling reminder of how vulnerable Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) staff remain outside the state, the driver and conductor of an HRTC bus were allegedly drugged and robbed during a night halt at Ludhiana, losing cash collections, a swipe machine and a mobile phone.
The incident occurred in the intervening night of December 19 at Ludhiana ISBT after the bus (HP-69-4988) arrived from Bilaspur at Ludhiana in Punjab.
With no resting facility provided at the bus stand, the exhausted crew was forced to sleep inside the parked bus.
Taking advantage of the darkness, unidentified miscreants allegedly entered the bus and released an intoxicating substance, pushing the driver and conductor into a delirious state.
“When we regained our senses around 3.30 am, everything had vanished,” said driver Surjit Chauhan. The swipe machine, a bag stuffed with fare collected from passengers, and the conductor’s mobile phone were found missing.
The stunned crew searched the bus and nearby area but to no avail. An FIR was later lodged at the nearest police station.
The incident has sparked anger among HRTC staff, who say they are routinely left to fend for themselves at outstation bus stands without basic safety or resting infrastructure, especially during night halts.
They have appealed to Transport Minister Mukesh Agnihotri and HRTC management to take up the matter with Punjab authorities and the Ludhiana administration to track down the culprits and recover the stolen cash and equipment.
For the crew, the incident is more than a theft. IT is a stark reminder that while they keep public transport running through the night, their own safety remains a big risk.
