Ludhiana, Feb. 28 -- A severe shortage of spare parts has crippled operations at the Punjab Roadways depot in Ludhiana, leaving buses stranded in the workshop and disrupting daily commuter services.

Eight newly allotted buses remain idle without tyres, while several operating vehicles are running without a spare, raising serious safety concerns. The shortage is forcing commuters to face reduced frequencies, skipped trips and long waiting times.

Depot staff described the scale of the problem. "Sometimes a single bus remains parked for 10 days because one small part is missing," said Parveen, a garage staff member. "Ten years ago, extra spares were stocked in advance. Today, we do not even receive basic components on time." The crisis ext...