kolkata: State Transport minister Firhad Hakim on Friday said strict action would be taken against bus operators not maintaining COVID-19 protocols.
"There should be a sticker with a message 'No entry without mask' inside the bus. Strict action will be taken against both the bus operator and
passenger for not wearing masks," said Hakim, when asked about a number of private bus passengers often seen travelling without masks and not maintaining physical distance on the vehicle. Earlier, state Transport minister Hakim had threatened to cancel the permit of a private bus which charges more than the fixed fare from a passenger.
"If a person finds that the bus in which he has travelled has charged more than the designated fare, I will ask him/ her to file an FIR in the police station with a copy of the bus ticket. Then, we will cancel the permit of that particular bus," Hakim said, reacting to a question regarding complaints of buses charging high fares.
The state government has stated clearly that private buses cannot charge extra from passengers and have assured of a review in the fare structure in near future.