Chandigarh Transport Undertaking (CTU) Bus Pass Scheme

What is the CTU Bus Pass Scheme?

The Chandigarh Transport Undertaking (CTU) is the Chandigarh Administration's own bus operator, running local, suburban and long-distance services from the Inter State Bus Terminus at Sector 17. The CTU Bus Pass Scheme is the set of concessional travel passes it issues to the general public: daily passes, student passes, employee passes, general passes and suburban passes.

The scheme matters because Chandigarh's daily commute is a tricity commute. Large numbers of students and workers travel every day between Chandigarh, Mohali and Panchkula, and a monthly pass replaces a series of single tickets on that route at a materially lower cost. CTU's published procedure sets the rates by category rather than by distance, so what you pay depends on who you are and whether you need air-conditioned buses, not on how far you travel within the tricity.

According to CTU's published procedure document, passes are provided to the general public at ISBT-17 Chandigarh and at all e-Sampark and Gram Sampark centres. The Sampark centres are the Chandigarh Administration's single-window citizen service counters spread across the sectors and villages, which is what makes this one of the more accessible schemes in the UT. You do not have to travel to ISBT to buy an ordinary pass.

How much do CTU bus passes cost?

CTU publishes six categories. All monthly rates below are for travel within the tricity area.

Chandigarh senior citizens receive a 50 per cent discount, which CTU records against the general pass category. That brings a non-AC general pass to a substantially lower monthly figure for an eligible senior citizen; confirm the exact amount currently being charged at the counter, because CTU states plainly that the above rates of bus passes are subject to revision from time to time.

An additional Rs 30 is charged for the smart card by the e-Sampark centres, over and above the pass amount. This is a one-time card charge, not a monthly one.

Who is eligible for a CTU bus pass?

You can get a pass if:

• You are a student of a school or college on a valid CTU route. The point-to-point pass at Rs 100 a month is tied to a specific home-to-institution route; the Rs 300 and Rs 400 passes are not route-bound within the tricity.
• You are an employee travelling within the tricity, at Rs 300 for non-AC or Rs 800 for AC and non-AC per month.
• You are a general commuter who wants unrestricted travel, at Rs 600 for non-AC or Rs 800 for AC and non-AC per month.
• You are a Chandigarh senior citizen, in which case the 50 per cent discount applies to the general pass.
• You are a bona fide student of a recognised tricity school or college living outside the tricity, under the Sub-Urban category at 25 single fares up to the city border.
• You are a government employee of a suburban area commuting into the tricity, at 40 single fares up to the border.

You are not eligible for these rates and cannot apply if:

• You cannot produce an attested residence proof and also have no Magistrate's affidavit with an institute identity card. CTU states that where no residence proof is available, the affidavit plus institute ID is necessarily required.
• You are seeking a student or employee pass without institutional attestation. Attestation of the pass form by the concerned institution is one of the three procedural requirements CTU lists.
• You want the Sub-Urban student rate but are not a bona fide student of a recognised school or college of the tricity.
• You want the suburban employee rate but are not a government employee of a suburban area: CTU's wording for that category is specific to government employees.
• You expect the senior citizen discount without being a Chandigarh senior citizen; CTU's note ties the 50 per cent discount to Chandigarh senior citizens.

What documents do I need for a CTU bus pass?

CTU sets out three procedural requirements for the service.

1. Filling up the prescribed bus pass form.
2. An attested photocopy of residence proof.
3. Attestation of the pass form by the concerned institution.

For residence proof, CTU lists the following as acceptable:

• Ration card
• Voter ID card
• Driving licence
• Passport
• Dependent card or certificate issued by the department for government servants
• Certificate issued by the SDM or DC regarding caste, domicile and the like
• Affidavit issued by a Magistrate together with the identity card of the institute
• Aadhaar card

Where none of these is available, CTU states that an affidavit issued by the Magistrate together with the ID card of the institute is necessarily required. There is no route to a pass without one of these documents.

The prescribed form is published as Bus Pass Form in the Downloads Document section of the CTU website, so you can fill it in before you reach the counter.

How to apply for a CTU bus pass

1. Download the prescribed bus pass form from the Downloads Document section of the CTU website, or collect a printed copy at ISBT-17 or an e-Sampark centre.
2. Fill the form completely, and for a point-to-point student pass, state the exact home-to-institution route you will travel on.
3. Get the form attested by your institution: your school, college or employer — if you are applying for a student or employee pass.
4. Attach an attested photocopy of your residence proof from CTU's accepted list. If you have none, obtain an affidavit from a Magistrate and attach it with your institute identity card.
5. Go to the issuing counter. For ordinary tricity passes, use any e-Sampark or Gram Sampark centre, open 8.00 am to 8.00 pm, six days a week except holidays. For Sub-Urban category passes, go to ISBT-17 between 8.00 am and 2.00 pm.
6. Pay the pass amount plus Rs 30 for the smart card at the e-Sampark centre, and collect the pass.

Where and when are CTU passes issued?

Two counters matter, and they keep different hours.

• e-Sampark and Gram Sampark centres, located in various sectors of Chandigarh and in the villages, issue intercity bus passes from 8.00 am to 8.00 pm, six days a week, except holidays. This is the route most commuters should use.
• ISBT-17 Chandigarh issues Sub-Urban category passes from 8.00 am to 2.00 pm. If you are a student or government employee commuting in from outside the tricity, this is your counter and the window is narrower.

How do I check my pass or resolve a problem?

CTU publishes an inquiry number, 0172-2700341, and a Web Information Manager email address, ctu-chd@nic.in, for queries relating to its website and services. CTU's site also carries a real-time tracking facility for city bus services, a Book Ticket Online facility and a Pay Rent Online facility.

For a dispute over a pass, a rate charged incorrectly, a refused senior citizen discount, or a smart card that does not read, start at the counter that issued it, then escalate to CTU through the inquiry number. CTU is covered by the Right to Information Act 2005 and publishes its CPIO and First Appellate Authority details, along with the fee structure and the procedure for requesting information, on its own website under the Right to Information section.

Why do pass applications get refused, and how do you fix it?

• No attestation from the institution. For student and employee passes this is a listed requirement, not an optional extra. Get the school, college or employer stamp before you go to the counter.
• Residence proof photocopy not attested. CTU asks for an attested photocopy. An ordinary photocopy is the commonest reason a file is sent back.
• No residence proof and no Magistrate's affidavit. The affidavit route exists precisely for this situation, and it must be paired with the institute ID card.
• Wrong counter for a Sub-Urban pass. Sub-Urban passes are issued at ISBT-17 and only until 2.00 pm; arriving at an e-Sampark centre for one wastes a trip.
• Expecting an old published rate. CTU states the rates are subject to revision from time to time, so confirm the current figure before you pay.
• Forgetting the Rs 30 smart card charge, which the e-Sampark centres levy over and above the pass amount.

What are the key dates for CTU bus passes?

There is no application season and no last date. Passes are issued on demand at the counter through the year, subject to the counter timings above. Monthly passes run by the month, so renew before the month turns rather than after, and keep the smart card. The Rs 30 charge attaches to the card, so a renewal on an existing card avoids paying it again.