Private bus owners to move court

Kolkata: A section of private bus owners has decided to move the Calcutta High Court, praying for the age limit of buses to be enhanced from the current 15 years to 20 years.

The decision was made during a recent meeting of City Suburban Bus Services on Tuesday, attended by bus owners from 51 private bus routes. Titu Saha, General Secretary of City Suburban Bus Services, stated: “We want the age limit of buses in Bengal to be increased from 15 years to 20 years. If these buses are permitted to run for 20 years, no significant pollution-related problems will arise. We have already brought this issue to the attention of the state government and we will now seek a court order on the matter.”

In 2009, the Calcutta High Court mandated that commercial vehicles older than 15 years be banned from operating in the Kolkata Metropolitan Area (KMA) to reduce pollution.

Saha claimed that if buses are not allowed to operate in the KMA area after attaining 15 years of age, the transportation system will break down. “In 2009, when the 15-year-old vehicles were directed to phase out, the number of vehicles was very high. Now the number has come down significantly. Also, current vehicles plying on roads are less polluting. So, the level of pollution doesn’t solely depend on the age of the vehicles.” According to the association, an average of 1,200 buses will be phased out between August 2024 and March 2025.