Punjab Roadways To See Merger Of 371 Buses Of Punbus

Punjab Finance, Planning, Excise and Taxation Minister Harpal Singh Cheema on Monday said that the state’s Finance Department has given its nod for merging 371 debt-free buses of PUNBUS into the fleet of the Punjab Roadways. He said that the department has also approved a budget of Rs 73 crores to meet expenditures for the same during this financial year.

This was stated in an official press statement issued by the government. Cheema said that the decision was taken as per the directions of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann. He said that Punjab Roadways had only 115 buses in its fleet, and with this merger number would be raised to 486 which will improve the intercity transport infrastructure in the state.

The decision to merge these buses was taken in May this year, when the total number of 587 buses were chosen. However in the first round, 371 debt-free buses have been chosen. 

He said that as per estimates included in the proposal of the Transport department, the expected expenditure on running these 371 buses by Punjab Roadways for entire FY 2023-24 is Rs 109.61 crores with an earning of Rs 138.70 crores. "As per the revised estimates, the Punjab Roadways is expected to earn Rs 90 crores registering a profit of Rs 17 crores", he added.