Suvendu launches app-based AC bus service for Behala residents

Kolkata: In a significant stride to facilitate transportation for the daily commuters from Behala and its adjacent areas which have been affected after the caving-in of Majerhat Bridge on September 4, the state Transport minister Suvendu Adhikari on Saturday flagged off an app-based air-conditioned bus service.

As many as 35 app-based buses rolled out by two aggregators, will start plying from Sunday and will connect Behala and its surrounding areas with the eastern part of the city, particularly Salt Lake Sector V, which has a number of offices.

"We had introduced 60 extra buses from West Bengal Transport Corporation to connect Behala and its adjacent areas with the rest of the city. Now, we are rolling out an app-based shuttle bus service for the benefit of Behala residents. 35 buses will be on road from Sunday and there will be 84 buses before Kali Puja. These buses will run in similar mode as the app-based buses that were introduced at the time of the Under 17 Fifa World Cup last year," Adhikari said at the launch programme.

He added that the buses, with a seating capacity of 26 each, are small ones and will be able to ply without causing much traffic congestion.

"The main advantage of the buses will be that there will be no surge charging, which is a major concern for the commuters when it comes to app-based cabs," Managing Director of WBTC N S Nigam said. The shuttle bus service is being offered by Shuttl and Hexa H2O.

The Transport minister also introduced an air-conditioned tram car restaurant under PPP mode. The tram will ply daily on the Sahid Minar–Kidderpore heritage route and food lovers will be able to enjoy a wide variety of Indian, Chinese, Continental and Bengali dishes there.