Kolkata: Private bus operators have decided to submit deputation to Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar demanding withdrawal of diesel price hike and other issues on Tuesday.
"We will meet Governor Dhankhar and submit the deputation (regarding diesel price hike, exemption of equated monthly installment [EMI] of private buses and waiver of insurance of vehicle) at Governor House at 3 pm on August 4, 2020. We want that the Governor Dhankhar should urge Prime Minister Narendra Modi to immediately reduce sky rocketing diesel price that is now Rs 77.06 per litre," said Tapan Banerjee, general secretary of Joint Council of Bus
Syndicates.
He said that the Central Government has increased the fuel price more than 20 times since January and paralyzing the entire transport sector.
Banerjee explained that during pre lockdown period 6,000 private buses used to run in the city and now only 1,000 buses are running in the city.
Private bus owners are suffering losses because they are running busses according to the seating capacity to maintain physical distance in the wake of COVID-19.
"The ticket sale proceeds do not even cover the diesel cost that has now shot up to Rs 77.06. We will also submit the deputation demanding immediate withdrawal of EMI of private buses at SBI, Allahabad bank and other bank headquarters in the city on August 4," pointed out Banerjee.
While the cost of a bus is between Rs 18 lakh and Rs 20 lakh, most of the private bus owners purchase it on loan and pay Rs 20,000 to Rs 25,000 EMI.