Panchkula rolls out local bus service
10 buses will cover Panchkula, Zirakpur, Kalka, Pinjore, Raipur Rani, Barwala and Sector-17 ISBT in Chandigarh
Come Thursday, local buses will ply in Panchkula, with halts at 54 bus stops.
With the help of the Haryana transport department, the municipal corporation has roped in 10 buses for local routes, which will cover Panchkula, Zirakpur, Kalka, Pinjore, Raipur Rani, Barwala and Sector-17 ISBT in Chandigarh.
The proposal for the local bus service was passed by the MC House on January 27. Mayor Kulbhushan Goyal said local MLA Gian Chand Gupta will flag off the buses from the Panchkula bus stand on Thursday.
The five routes are Jalouli to Prachin Shiv Mandir, Saketri ; Chandi Kotla to Sector-17 ISBT, Chandigarh; Zirakpur to Sector-17 ISBT, Chandigarh; Zirakpur to Prachin Shiv Mandir, Saketri; and Kalka to Prachin Shiv Mandir, Saketri.
Need connectivity to railway station, PGI, HC: Residents
Welcoming the move, residents said it was a much-needed facility that they had been demanding for decades. However, they expressed dissatisfaction over the routes.
Members of Citizens’ Welfare Association (CWA) pointed out that the routes did not cover the Chandigarh railway station, PGIMER, GMSH-16 and GMCH-32 in Chandigarh, besides Haryana Civil Secretariat, Vidhan Sabha and Punjab and Haryana high court.
CWA president SK Nayar said Panchkula was a part of the Chandigarh Capital Project as per the Punjab Reorganisation Act, 1966, but its residents had remained devoid of basic facilities.
However, the mayor said they were awaiting permission to ply Panchkula buses till PGIMER.
Colour-coded dustbins in public places
The mayor said the work to install 300 sets of colour-coded dustbins in public places for easier waste segregation will begin in the city on Thursday.
An Eco Mart by the municipal corporation will also start in Sector 14 the same day. Here, residents can purchase home composters, recycled paper products, pencils, notebooks, paper sheets, biodegradable bags, cloth and jute bags, and wooden spoons, plates and combs, as an alternative to plastic.
Also, residents can avail of consultancy services for solar power and waste water management.