Commuter hassles aggravate in Kolkata as several private buses stay off roads citing losses

Transport woes of commuters compounded on Monday with a large number of private buses remaining off ros in city, demanding a fare hike in wake of rising fuel prices and COVID-19 restrictions on number of passengers allowed to board. Travellers complained of irdinate delays in getting to ir destinations as fewer private buses are in operation in metropolis and its suburbs compared to last week.

Commuters have been facing hardships owing to lack of public transport since beginning of Unlock-1 on June 8, when most government and private offices and establishments reopened. Joint Council of Bus Syndicates, one of largest associations of private bus operators in city and districts, said current fare structure is t viable.

"High diesel prices, coupled with state government's directive to allow only sitting capacity passengers, have crippled services. Ticket sales are t eugh to even pay for fuel cost, leave alone or expenses," its general secretary Tapan Banerjee said.

Fuel prices were hiked for 22nd time on Monday in just over three weeks. According to All Bengal Bus Minibus Sammay Samity (coordination committee) general secretary Rahul Chatterjee, re are around 27,000 private buses in state. Around 25 per cent of total number were in operation last week, officials said.

" state government offering to pay a monthly dole of Rs 15,000 each for 6,000 private buses for three months will create confusion and division among owners," Chatterjee said, ding, a fare hike is only solution to current imbroglio.

He said coordination committee has t called for any stopp of services, but given losses being incurred daily, owners are withdrawing vehicles from routes. State transport undertaking, WBTC, however, is running buses at full strength, its managing director Rajanvir Singh Kapur said.