‘Transport crunch likely as Jalpaiguri prepares for polls’

Jalpaiguri: Due to the elections on April 19, buses and small cars are expected to vanish from the roads starting April 17. Therefore, all voters planning to travel to Jalpaiguri from outside are advised by the private bus owners’ organisations of Jalpaiguri to arrive at least a day earlier. However, this shortage of vehicles on the road will likely inconvenience the general public.

The polls for the Jalpaiguri Lok Sabha constituency are scheduled for April 19. Both government and private buses, as well as small cars, have been requisitioned for election use. According to sources from the Jalpaiguri District Regional Transport Office (RTO), about 1,348 small buses and small maxi vehicles have been allocated solely for polling purposes. Additionally, the Jalpaiguri depot of the North Bengal State Transport Corporation has provided 30 buses.

Furthermore, the police have acquired several vehicles for the Central Forces, totaling close to a thousand. Around 100 small cars have also been acquired for door-to-door polling of elderly voters. Additionally, 10 to 15 per cent of cars will be kept in reserve by acquiring some more.

All the vehicles designated for election duties have been instructed to report to the DCRC held at North Bengal University II Campus, Jalpaiguri, and Parimal Mitra College, Malbazar on April 17.

Nabin Chandra Adhikari, RTO of Jalpaiguri, stated: “We have been provided with the number of vehicles requested by the District Election Office for election use.”

Bimal Guha, Secretary of the North Bengal Motor Transport Owners Association, mentioned: “Our organisations possess buses, minibuses, and Maxi Taxis, which operate on all routes of the district. So far, 300 vehicles have been allocated for the election, along with 100 school buses. Consequently, it appears that bus services on all routes will cease from April 17, causing inconvenience to the general public. Furthermore, the few buses that will operate may take advantage of the situation by charging higher fares from passengers. Hence, car owners are being forewarned.”