Buses demand fare hike, to go off Kolkata roads indefinitely

In the wake of rising fuel price and a “hopelessly static transport fare mechanism” private buses will go off roads of Kolkata from June 7, demanding immediate rise in bus fares.

Tapan Banerjee the general secretary of Joint Council of Bus Syndicate said “there has been no increase in bus fare for the past 8-9 years but the fuel prices have skyrocketed. In the given circumstances we have no other way to go for an indefinite strike in favour of a reasonable hike in bus fares.”

The minimum bus fare in Kolkata and adjoining districts is Rs 6 for bigger buses and Rs 7 for the mini buses. The syndicate of bus operators has demanded a minimum fare of Rs 9.

“Buses and mini buses will not ply on June 7. But if the State does not listen to us then the strike will be extended to the districts,” he said adding already 60 percent of buses had suspended services on account of losses they were suffering. “We cannot take it anymore.”

While the taxi operators’ unions were mulling similar steps, the truckers in the State have also announced an indefinite strike from June 18 in line with their national body’s call to protest diesel price hike and to press for other demands related to alleged police excesses and overloading by transport agencies.

Reacting sharply to the strike call State Transport Minister Subhendhu Adhikary on Tuesday said that the “Government will not take any nonsense during the month of Ramzan and would ensure maximum service of Government buses during these days.”

Incidentally the Left Front Government which had faced a similar issue in 2009 had instead of increasing fare provided a Rs 2 subsidy to the bus operators.