Ludhiana, Oct. 22 -- Permanent and contractual employees of Punjab Roadways, PUNBUS and PRTC launched an indefinite strike on Wednesday to press for their long-pending demands, throwing government bus services in Ludhiana into disarray and leaving daily commuters scrambling for alternatives.

Over 90% of buses at the Ludhiana depot remained off the road, according to Praveen, general secretary of the contract workers' union, leaving students, working women and job seekers who rely on affordable public transport to contend with disrupted journeys and steeper commuting costs.

More than 300 permanent and contractual transport workers gathered at the Ludhiana Inter-State Bus Terminal (ISBT) around 10 am and began the protest after a meeting ...