State to bring over 500 pvt buses under Yatri Sathi app
Kolkata: The Transport Department will bring another 500–700 private buses in Kolkata under the ‘Where Is My Bus’ (WIMB) feature of the Yatri Sathi mobile app within the next month, enabling commuters to track their real-time location. At present, apart from 180 state-run buses, only two private routes — 223 and 45 under the City Suburban Bus Service (CSBS) — are covered by WIMB.
“We are hoping to bring all private buses plying within the city under WIMB within a year. After that, we will extend the facility to the Kolkata Metropolitan Area (KMA) and subsequently to buses in rural areas as well,” said Saumitra Mohan, principal secretary of the Transport Department, during the annual CSBS conference on Wednesday.
Mohan urged operators to rethink their business model. “The public now expects better service and amenities. You need to be innovative, especially as corporate players have entered the sector with improved commuter services,” he noted. Sukesh Jain, IG Traffic, said that the Kolkata, Howrah and Bidhannagar municipal corporations would install display screens at bus stops so that passengers can check arrival times. “There have been instances when commuters, frustrated while waiting, have stepped onto the road and met with accidents. These screens will help prevent such situations,” he said. Currently, such display boards are available only at bus stops in New Town. Rahul Chatterjee of the All Bengal Bus Minibus Samannay Samiti informed that the state has engaged an agency to provide subsidies for bus drivers’ mobile phones — a key requirement for WIMB. Drivers must switch on their phones at the start of their day’s journey to enable tracking. The subsidy is being financed through advertisements on buses. “This has given a much-needed push for private buses to join WIMB,” Chatterjee said.
Shiraz Daneshyar, managing director of the West Bengal Transport Corporation (WBTC), stressed the need for coordination among operators to bring professionalism into bus services.
