Kolkata: Commuters in Kolkata will face a tough journey this new year 2024 as around 4000 buses will go off the roads after completing 15 years of service.
According to the four regional transport offices (RTOs) in Kolkata, it has been observed that there has been a steady decline in the registration of Samachar buses.
The state transport department shows that there has been a decline in the registration of new buses since the financial year 2015-16.
Here is the data on new bus registrations:
In the year (2015-16): 409
2016-17: 168
2017-18: 285
2018-19: 231
2019-20: 128
2020-21: 81
2021-22: 67
46 till 25th December.
“After 2014-15, diesel prices started rising and eventually reached Rs 100,” Tapan Banerjee, general secretary of the Bus Operators Association, the joint council of bus syndicates, reported Indian Express. During this period it almost doubled. The prices of spare parts for buses also increased. The state government should understand that buses will not run on water. How will we make profits if bus fares do not increase? In the last 10 years, the state government has not allowed us to increase the fare. This area in Bengal is almost ruined.”
He said, “Following the Supreme Court order in 2009, all buses older than 15 years were phased out. More than 4,000 buses will be phased out when it completes 15 years next year. If the fares of the buses are not increased then these buses will not be replaced with new buses. Passengers will have to bear the brunt of this.”
