Bus services from Siliguri to Kolkata resumes

Darjeeling: Bus services connecting North Bengal with South Bengal resumed from Tuesday. However the buses will run with 25 passengers. In the Hills except for emergencies, taxis will not ply till June 15.

North Bengal State Transport Corporation has started plying buses to Kolkata from the Tenzing Norgay Bus Terminus, Siliguri from Tuesday.

From Wednesday bus services are scheduled to start to other destinations also. Buses to Kolkata and Siliguri, Balurghat and Malda will be plying from Raigunj.

Bijay Kumar Das, NBSTC Raigunj Depot stated "Thermal screening of the passengers will be conducted. Wearing masks is mandatory for passengers. 25 passengers will be allowed in each bus."

Meanwhile in the Hills, vehicles will not ply in the Hills till June 15. "This will include all vehicles including private and taxis except emergency service vehicles like police, district administration, fire brigade, vehicles carrying milk, water, vegetables, medicine, ration" stated Parshu Hingmang, Secretary, Himalayan Transport Coordination Committee. "We are trying to work out alternative temporary livelihood for the taxi drivers like cooperatives selling vegetables till normalcy returns. It's a very difficult time in a place which is totally dependent on tourists" stated SN Pradhan, President of the Committee.

The committee has demanded free life insurances and PPE kit from the Government for drivers along with thermal scanners for the taxi syndicates.