Punjab-Bound Nris To Travel In Style

Non-resident Indians (NRIs) visiting their homeland in Punjab can now hope to be dropped right at their doorstep in five-star comfort, thanks to a new bus service that has been launched just for them.

Returning home from Canada two years ago, G S Chopra realised that while NRIs reached New Delhi in great comfort, the journey from the airport to their village was a nightmare.

Several NRIs told Chopra that besides squabbling with taxi drivers over exorbitant fares, they were often harassed by policemen while passing through Haryana and Punjab states.

Chopra and his son, Amarinder Singh, conducted a survey at the airport before they launched the luxury bus service called Northern Express to cater to over 1,500 NRIs arriving in New Delhi everyday.

 

On arrival at the Indira Gandhi International airport, the passengers would be put up at the city port which is just outside the airport and their luggage taken care of. The city port is equipped with rest rooms, cafeteria and a playing room for children.

A state-of-the art air-conditioned coach, imported from Japan, will then take the passengers to Punjab. To provide more leg space to the jet-lagged passengers, only 34 seats have been provided in the bus in which snacks and drinks will be on the house.

The eight-hour journey from the International airport to Jalandhar will have two nodal stops at Rajpura and Ludhiana. From these points, the passengers will be escorted to their villages in air-conditioned taxis or mini cabs.

All this carries a fee of $25 per person. The tickets can be booked in the U.S., Canada and Britain through travel agents. The return journey will cost Rs. 550 (roughly $14) per person from the nodal points to the airport. People are ready to pay the price for comfort and a safe journey, Rupinder Singh, the company director said.

According to him, initially, only two buses will be plied everyday one departing at midnight and the other three hours later. However, the company plans to add at least four more such buses to its fleet,depending on the response.