Ludhiana, Oct. 23 -- Passengers had to wait longer than usual for buses at the local bus stand on Thursday as more than half the fleet of the Punjab Road Transport Corporation (PRTC) and Punjab Roadways remained off road for the second consecutive day. Women, entitled to free travel on government buses, were among the worst affected.

"Today, most of the buses on the road are private ones. They charge more than government buses. This particularly affects women like us, who can travel free on government buses," said Rashmeet Kaur, who was waiting for a bus to Patiala.

Another issue reported by passengers was that government buses generally operate on schedule, even when they are not full. "Private buses wait until they have a certain numb...