CSTC celebrates 75 yrs of its existence

The Calcutta State Transport Corporation (CSTC) celebrated its 75 years of existence on Monday. It came into existence in 1948.

The 75th anniversary celebration of CSTC was held at the headquarter of the Corporation in Belghoria with pomp and grandeur, in presence of all the staff members.

State Transport minister Snehasis Chakraborty, MoS Transport Dilip Mondal, Chairman WBTC Madan Mitra, Vice Chairman WBTC M Hussain and MD of WBTC Rajanvir Singh Kapur, amongst other dignitaries were present. The dignitaries garlanded the statue of Dr Bidhan Chandra Roy, the creator of the Corporation.

Chakraborty said: “I am proud of the fact that CSTC has been serving people for 75 years. My best wishes to them.” Mondal and Mitra too wished luck to the members of CSTC team.

MD WBTC Rajanvir Singh Kapur said: “It gives me immense happiness to be helming the CSTC on this auspicious juncture. We try continuously to improve our services.”

Bus services in the city of Calcutta had started way back in 1920. But the State Transport services under the Directorate of Transportation, Government of West Bengal was established in the form of an organised public sector on July 31, 1948.

The State Transport Services was subsequently transformed as Calcutta State Transport Corporation (CSTC) on June 15, 1960 under the Road Transport Corporation Act, 1950. The objective of this change was to provide efficient, adequate, economical and properly coordinated passenger bus service particularly in and around the city and in the state in general.

Till 1966-67, CSTC nationalised about 90% of the city routes. However, because of acute financial constraints, the Corporation could not meet the ever-increasing passenger demand and the government allowed private operators to operate their buses in the city of Kolkata.