Service rules framed for Punbus contractual staff after 30 years, ready for nod

The Punjab government has framed service rules for the contractual employees of Punjab State Bus Stand Management Company Limited (Punbus). Prepared nearly three decades after the inception of the company, these rules will now be sent to the state cabinet for final approval.

A senior transport department official stated that the service rules have been finalized and this draft will soon be placed before the cabinet for approval. These new rules will pave the way for the working conditions and promotions of approximately 4,000 Punbus employees.

This new framework has been formulated on a two-tier system basis along the lines of PEPSU Road Transport Corporation (PRTC) rules. Under this, workers recruited in Category-2 will be able to move to Category-1 after completing two years of satisfactory service.

After three years of satisfactory service in Category-1 and upon fulfilling prescribed qualifications and conditions, they can be considered for regular employment. Promotions will be based on seniority and merit, but until regularization, employees will continue to work under their existing contract terms.

Established in 1995 as an associate company of Punjab Roadways, Punbus was set up to increase the fleet of buses, take loans to purchase buses, and modernize public transport. Currently, Punbus has around 1,500 buses, but due to the lack of service rules over three decades, employees had been continuously holding protests.

Government buses within Punjab are operated through Punjab Roadways, Punbus, and PRTC, which together have a total of around 3,500 buses. Roadways and PRTC already have service rules for their employees, while Punbus has been operating its services mostly relying on Roadways' infrastructure and staff.

Key developments

• Service rules framed for about 4,000 contractual Punbus employees.
• Draft of the rules to be placed before the Punjab cabinet for final approval.
• Two-tier promotion system to be implemented on the lines of PRTC.
• Path to regularization will open after two years in Category-2 and three years in Category-1.