Kolkata: The state govt's decision to abolish the commission-based payment system for private bus crews and introduce a fixed minimum wage has met with strong resistance from all quarters in the private bus sector.
A day after transport minister Snehasis Chakraborty announced the move, unions that control drivers and conductors as well as bus owners expressed concerns over the feasibility of migrating to a wage-based system and warned of severe disruptions to the city's public transport system if an attempt was made to implement it.
Union leaders and bus owners contend that the proposed system is impractical in the current industry structure. They cited several issues, from lack of direct employment to financial imbalance and a disparity between urban and district economy to give the proposal a thumbs down.
"Bus crew are not employees of specific bus owners but are controlled by trade unions. There is no fixed assignment of drivers or conductors to specific buses, making salary payments complex," said Titu Saha, secretary of Suburban Bus Service.
Operators also argued that introducing fixed wages would lead to financial losses. Now, drivers and conductors earn a percentage of daily ticket sales — 14% for drivers and 9% for conductors. This system, they claim, incentivizes higher earnings and efficiency.
Moreover in Kolkata, drivers and conductors reportedly earn more than their counterparts in districts due to the demanding urban work environment. "A conductor earns around Rs 900 a day, while a driver earns Rs 1,400. A fixed wage, which might not exceed 24% of total earnings, would drastically reduce their income and demotivate them," said Tapan Banerjee of the Joint Council of Bus Syndicates.
With private buses comprising 80% of Kolkata's fleet, operators warn that fixed wages could lead to fewer trips and operational inefficiencies. "This could cripple the city's already fragile bus system," said Chabi Chakraborty, a bus owner.
Bus owners also pointed out that unions, not operators, decide crew assignments, making it difficult for them to implement a wage-based system. "It is not our duty to formulate a new payment model," said the owner of a bus on route 78.
This is not the first time a fixed wage system was proposed. Similar efforts were introduced during the Left Front regime and later under the Trinamool but were rolled back due to resistance from stakeholders and concerns about public transport disruptions.
Transport minister Snehasis Chakraborty has emphasised the need for a stable and fair payment model to protect the livelihoods of bus crews. However, implementing the policy in an industry dominated by unions and informal arrangements remains a significant challenge.