Bengal govt rolls out 126 buses for city and suburbs

A total of 126 new state-run buses will start operating on different routes across West Bengal from Friday.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will flag off the buses at Milan Mela on Friday. The state government had earmarked the areas where there was a need to deploy more buses. Based on the survey, the routes have been selected where there is a requirement of more buses. 

Out of 126 buses, 69 of them will be operated by the North Bengal State Transport Corporation. South Bengal State Transport Corporation will operate 41 buses and rest 16 of them will be under Calcutta State Transport Corporation.

The state transport department had taken several steps to make vehicles easy available to commuters. Now the additional 126 buses will help the commuters to reach their destinations without facing inconvenience. 

Some of the buses will be operating on routes connecting Siliguri and Ranchi. Beside the interstate bus service, long distance buses will operate from the city to Alipurduar, Raigunge, Behrampore, Midnapore, Bankura and Tarapith. 

Some of the buses will be operating on routes to connect Digha and Kalyani, Haldia and Kakdwip, Bankura and Ranigunge, Islampur and Malda. 

The most attractive part of the project is that air-conditioning buses will connect Digha from Dum Dum, Barasat and Namkhana.

Some of the 126 buses are comparatively smaller ones and those will be operating in Behala-Sarsuna area. There will also be shuttle service from Bidhannagar to Chingrighata and from near Police Training School at Alipore. 

Samiran Kanti Ghosh, an employee of a private firm at Lenin Sarani, said the steps taken by the state government to introduce more buses on different routes will help many people. 

The introduction of shuttle bus service will be of great help. 

“Women returning from office a little late in night will no more need to run after a shuttle taxi. They can easily get a shuttle bus to reach their destination safely,” he said, adding that he stays near Chiriamore and he has to walk only ten minutes to get an air-conditioning bus from Dum Dum for Digha. 

Praising the state government, he said the condition of roads are much better compared to that of the previous years and introduction of the 126 buses will further strengthen the public transport system in the state.