Another set of 22 bike taxis to be introduced in Rajarhat, New Town

The state Transport department is gearing up to introduce another set of 22 bike taxis that will serve as last-mile connectivity vehicles in Rajarhat and New

Town respectively.

It may be recalled that the department had already introduced around 21 bike taxis for Rajarhat and New Town on March 16. The bike taxis were named as K Bike Taxi. The company is having a plan to introduce as many as 50 such two-wheelers for better connectivity in the area.

Now, the state government has given clearance to another firm to operate bike taxis in Rajarhat and New Town areas. According to an official of the state Transport department, the new company will be initially introducing 22 two-wheelers and afterwards the number would gradually increase.

The official further added that it will help in increasing the visibility of the bike taxis in the area as well and it would help in attracting more people to avail the facility.

Suvendu Adhikari, the state Transport minister, will be flagging off the new bike taxis at Maidan tent of West Bengal Transport Corporation (WBTC) at 4 pm on Wednesday.

Sujit Bose, MLA and Director of WBTC, Debashis Sen, CMD HIDCO, and Alapan Bandyopadhyay, Principal Secretary of Transport department will also be present at the programme.

The state Transport department had framed a set of guidelines that all the operators of bike taxis will have to follow. Such guidelines have been framed considering the safety and security of passengers.

Senior officials of the department had made panic buttons mandatory in the taxi bikes and at the same time the fare will also be controlled by the transport department.

Moreover, riders of the bike taxis will carry an additional helmet that the pillion rider might need to put on while availing the service. At the same time, raincoats for pillion riders during the monsoon season will also be provided.