Kolkata: The West Bengal Transport Corporation (WBTC) will induct four new Volvo 9600 series luxury buses into its fleet ahead of Durga Puja, while two additional coaches fitted with bio-toilets are scheduled to arrive after the festive season.
The move comes barely four months after six Volvo 9600 coaches were introduced in May, flagged off by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. Although procured by WBTC, those buses were later allocated to the North Bengal State Transport Corporation (NBSTC) for services from North Bengal to Jagannath Dham at Digha. With the latest procurement, WBTC will add another six buses, including two bio-toilet variants.
Each fully built 12.2-metre coach, priced at about Rs. 1.6 crore, seats 43 passengers along with the driver and co-driver.
The bio-toilet models cost slightly more at Rs 1.67 crore. All vehicles are BSVI-compliant, fitted with Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems, and come with a one-year standard warranty and an extended driveline warranty of two years or six lakh kilometre, whichever is earlier.
Officials said the new fleet will be deployed on high-demand routes such as Siliguri, Purulia and Asansol, with the bio-toilet coaches expected to serve the Kolkata-Siliguri corridor.
The state-run Volvos are likely to maintain fares of Rs 1,300 to Rs 1,400 on the route, far lower than the Rs 3,000 to Rs 4,000 charged by private operators during the festive season. “Four standard Volvo buses are expected to reach Kolkata from the manufacturer’s Bengaluru facility this week and will be pressed into service before Puja. The two bio-toilet fitted coaches will follow after Diwali,” a Transport department official said.
Transport authorities admit the decision is also designed to woo passengers away from private services, many of which already operate bio-toilet and pantry-equipped buses on the same routes.
WBTC had earlier spent nearly Rs 9.56 crore on the first batch of Volvos and hopes the new additions, particularly the bio-toilet variants, will help attract more passengers by offering both comfort and convenience at lower fares.