How Badal family's roadways business is taking Punjab for a ride

Systematic manipulation byPunjab govt of its transport policy has enriched private transport cos

Elections are around the corner in Punjab and in its final move, the incumbent Badal government has discreetly initiated a process of extending route permits and enhancing operational schedules of private bus transporters at the cost of state-run transport buses, whose operational timings are being cut and permits taken away.

This move is one in a series of manipulations over the past few years of the state transport policy that favours private transportation agencies at the cost of the the state-owned transport department and the people of Punjab.

The attempt to enrich private transporters does not come as a surprise since the