Private bus operators seek vehicle disinfection centres

Kolkata: Private bus operators on Thursday urged the state Transport department to set up vehicle disinfection centres to curb the spread of COVID-19.

"We don't have proper infrastructure where private buses and mini buses could be fully sanitised. We want that the state Transport department should install vehicle disinfection centres at bus terminals or stands in the city," said Tapan Banerjee, general secretary of Joint Council of Bus Syndicates.

However, the government buses are being sanitised after their trip in its depots.

"We are grateful to the government for providing free masks to private bus drivers and conductors. We are unable to disinfect the private buses because of two reason. Firstly, we don't have money to bear the cost of disinfection of vehicles. Secondly, we don't have a proper place for disinfecting our vehicles," pointed out Banerjee.

He reiterated that private buses are reducing on the road due to spiraling diesel price and lack of passengers on the roads. "Around 6,000 buses used to run in the city during pre-lockdown period. At present, only 1,000 are running on the roads because cost of maintence cost has increased 300 times and the fare is constant," said West Bengal Bus and Minibus Owners' Association Secretary Pradip Narayan Bose.