TMC blames Suvendu for troubles faced by private bus operators

Kolkata: Making a scathing attack on Suvendu Adhikari, who stepped down from the post of Bengal Transport minister and joined BJP, Trinamool Congress leader Madan Mitra held the former responsible for putting private bus operators in deep trouble without addressing any of their issues in the past 10 months.

"I am assuring them (private bus operators) that their demand (fare hike and clearance of pending dues for health and migrant worker services during lockdown) and grievances will be forwarded to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee tomorrow," said Mitra, who is also the Chairman of the committee for transport operators, after Private bus operators on Wednesday threatened to stop running their services if the fare is not hiked by mid-January next year.

Representatives of six private bus associations conducted a meeting and decided that they would continue their services till Ganga Sagar Mela.

"Demanding bus fare hike, we have written several letters to the then state Transport minister Suvendu Adhikari. This apart, during the lockdown period, we offered private buses for the health and migrant worker services during lockdown. The payment is pending," said Rahul Chatterjee, General Secretary of All Bengal Bus Minibus Samannay Samity.

"We gave private buses for the health and migrant worker services from March to June," said Titu Saha, General Secretary of City Suburban Bus Service.

At present, the minimum bus fare for 4 kilometre is Rs 7 and the maximum for 50 km is Rs 30. However, the bus operators demanded that the bus fare should be doubled.

"Demanding fare hike, we will give a letter to the state Transport secretary on January 4," said Surajit Saha, vice-president of Bengal Bus

Syndicate.