Ludhiana, July 6 -- The Punjab transport department has initiated the procurement of 45 new ordinary Punjab Roadways buses for the Ludhiana depot with the proposal reaching the financial bidding stage. Officials said the buses are expected to be inducted within the next one-and-a-half months after completion of the tender process, bringing much-needed relief to commuters after months of disruptions caused by an ageing fleet, grounded buses and a shortage of spare parts.

The development is expected to ease pressure on depot officials, who have been operating with a depleted fleet for several months.

Earlier this year, HT had reported that several Punjab Roadways buses remained parked in workshops because of the non-availability of essent...