AVM demands Aero Express bus service from Amritsar Int’l Airport

Amritsar, Feb. 25 (Punjab Post Bureau) – In an effort towards upliftment of Sri Guru Ram Das Jee (SGRDJ) International airport, a deputation of Amritsar Vikas Manch (NGO) met with the Additional District Commissioner (ADC) Development Ravinder Singh and presented a memorandum demanding starting of “Aero Express” or “Skybus” service from the airport. Start of this service can provide easy, timely and an affordable transport facility for visitors and travelers disembarking at the Airport. Amritsar airport currently sans local public transport connectivity with the city. Due to this, public is facing inconvenience at the airport because of limited availability, which is only confined to private cabs.

            Manch has proposed to the administration that the entire batch of Red City buses, procured via JNRUM scheme, are lying defunct. More than 50 buses are biting the dust and many of them have their parts stolen. The city bus service project, which was launched in Amritsar in 2014 with much fanfare, has officially closed within one year of its operation.

A draft of the proposal for route plan, stops and last mile connectivity with various areas of Amritsar, prepared by Manch member Yogesh Kamra was also submitted. More than 2-lakh passengers travel every month to/from the airport to different parts of the city and Punjab. According to Kamra, this is a good opportunity to put these buses to best use and thousands of tourists, students and home coming travelers arriving every day at the airport can get benefit of affordable airport transfers. Timings and route plan should be done in best interest of travelers.

            Bhubaneshwar airport recently got upgraded to International airport and they have already started the process to put city bus counter at their airport terminal. AVM President Kulwant Ankhi said that Manch has also requested GM roadways to consider starting of direct HVAC Volvo/Mercedes comfortable bus service directly from the airport to other cities of Punjab including Pathankot, Bathinda, Ludhiana, Patiala, Chandigarh and Ambala for the benefit of travelers. Manjit Singh Saini, Secretary AVM highlighted other issues regarding inconvenience to daily passengers including airport parking. ADC Ravinder Singh assured AVM that appropriate action will be taken.

Several complaints have been posted about parking and other matter on social media including AVM facebook page for the airport, “Amritsar Airport – Connecting the World”. Delegation also included Daljit Singh Kohli, Lakhbir Singh Ghuman, jasbir Singh Saggu and Nirmal Singh Anand.