E-Paper
Private buses refuse to ply, WB minister to meet syndicates over fare revision
West Bengal transport minister Firhad Hakim acknowledged the trouble that commuters are facing and said that the government will have to strict measures if the private buses keep refusing to resume operations.
Amid the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) situation in West Bengal, private buses in Kolkata refused to ply on Sunday, adding to the hassle of daily commuters, reported HT Bangla. This comes even after the Mamata Banerjee-led government in the state warned of strict measures if private buses refused to hit the roads.
Private buses are refusing to hit the streets without a revision in the existing fare structure keeping in view the increasing fuel prices.
West Bengal transport minister Firhad Hakim acknowledged on Saturday the trouble that commuters are facing and said that the government will have to strict measures if the private buses keep refusing to resume operations. He also promised to make the entire fleet of the state government buses -- 800 buses in Kolkata and 3,000 more in the rest of the state -- operational to bring the transport issue under control.
However, reports said that daily commuters are facing trouble adhering to Covid-19 appropriate protocols when they travel in crowded government buses.
State minister Firhad Hakim is set to meet the joint council of bus syndicates soon, the HT Bangla report said. The resumption of private bus services will expectedly bring relief to passengers, some of who have had to pay more than five times in fares travelling to their offices in cabs.
Bus transport services remained suspended in West Bengal till mid-May in view of the Covid-19 situation. However, the restrictions have recently been lifted, albeit with a 50% limit.
Meanwhile, auto fuel rates rallied on Sunday as state-run oil companies raised petrol prices by 35 paise and diesel by 18 paise a litre in the 34th hike in two months, making the two fuels costlier by over 10% since May 4, a day after results of five assembly polls were declared. With the latest hike, petrol rates in Delhi and Kolkata have inched closer to the ₹100 a litre mark at ₹99.51 and ₹99.45 per litre respectively. New rates of diesel in Delhi and Kolkata are ₹89.36 per litre and ₹92.27 respectively.
