Braille signs lead commuters to locked washroom doors, decay at Ludhiana’s Inter State Bus Terminal.

Ludhiana: While flashy new Braille signs line the walls of city’s premier bus terminal, vulnerable commuters are being met with locked doors and unusable facilities as local sanitation standards collapse.

Just months after the district administration declared Ludhiana’s Inter-State Bus Terminal (ISBT) as Punjab’s first “disabled-friendly” transport hub with tactile flooring and signage to assist visually impaired travellers, an on-ground inspection reveals a stark paradox between these new features and the overall rot.

Broken Infra, Locked Doors

The most severe failures are inside the designated accessible restrooms. Several toilets meant for travellers with disabilities were found padlocked, while others remained inaccessible due to broken door mechanisms. One open restroom was entirely unusable because of a broken commode flap and severe filth.

General sanitation across the terminal has also collapsed. Refuse is piled along boundary walls, and a large heap of uncollected garbage sits beneath the flyover connecting the local and main terminal sections.

“These conditions are deplorable,” visitor Ravi Bhatia said, noting that the premium waiting hall meant for air-conditioned bus passengers also remains permanently locked. “The overall upkeep is extremely poor.”

Commuters Slam Fee Structure

The lack of maintenance has sparked outrage among commuters who are charged a ₹5 fee to use the terminal’s convenience facilities.

“In Mumbai, public washrooms at transport hubs are clean, air-conditioned, and free to use,” said one interstate traveller. “Here, they charge money even to use a urinal, but the condition of the washrooms is pathetic.”

A daily commuter to nearby Chandigarh echoed the frustration, stating that if authorities enforce user fees, they must guarantee basic cleanliness and infrastructure repairs.

Privatization on the Horizon

Responding to the failures, Navraj Batish, general nanager of the state-run PUNBUS Ludhiana Depot, confirmed that the govt was trying to offload the facility’s operations.

Batish said: “Authorities are in advanced negotiations with a private firm under a public-private partnership model. Once the contract is finalsed, the terminal’s management, repairs, and daily maintenance will be handed over to the private entity.”