Fare hike key to survival: Kolkata private bus operators

KOLKATA: Back-to-back lockdowns, restrictions in containment zones and gradual rise of diesel price have left the bus operators crippled.
“We are in a very bad shape. If we run buses, we will bleed. If we don’t run buses, our workers will starve. Moreover, majority of private bus operators have gone into moribund state,” said Tapan Bandyopadhyay, general secretary, Joint Council of Bus Syndicates. On Friday, only 20% buses plied on city roads.
“Buses run in an ecosystem where it’s inter-dependent with trains and ferry services. If train dose not move, bus can never have enough passengers. Howrah station alone caters to 13 lakh passengers a day, Sealdah caters to another 9 lakh and Metro supports 7 lakh. So, we are losing huge number of passengers,” said Pradip Narayan Basu, joint secretary, West Bengal Bus and Mini Bus Owners’ Association
Operators said there is no other alternative to fare revision. If the government revises fare, the transport system will survive, said operators. Not only buses, even cabs are badly hit. “Most of us cannot recover the operating cost even after running eight hours a day,” said Sanjib Roy of Bengal Taxi Association.