Public transport services have become normal as per government guidelines after the lockdown. However, a limited number of local trains are running due to fear of infection. So mostly depend on bus service. Especially from Kolkata, office passengers keep traveling by bus. However, the number of private buses on the road is less. Passengers are unable to see the bus even after standing for a long time on many routes. Sometimes there used to be a dispute between the government and the bus owners over the hike in bus fares. Although the official bus fare did not increase after that, the bus fare was increased on almost all the routes of Kolkata city. The passengers have also accepted it. Why the less number of buses though? This time the state government has sent a letter to the associations of private bus owners seeking an answer to this question.
It is noteworthy that although bus fares have been increased on most of the routes, the official bus fares have not been increased yet. Meanwhile, business has suffered heavy losses during the drought. Due to the closure of local trains, the number of bus passengers has not yet reached the pre-emergency level. In such a situation, bus owners are suffering huge losses due to increase in bus fares. In this environment, Chief Secretary Harikrishna Dwivedi is holding an important meeting with the officials of Navane Transport Department on Thursday afternoon. Apart from this, the state government has sent a letter seeking detailed records of how many buses are plying on which route.
Meanwhile, the state government has sent show cause notices to several bus owners for charging the increased bus fare. Reportedly, even though the bus fare has not been increased officially, the passengers have to pay the extra bus fare. While you have to pay Rs 13 for a government bus from Dunlop to Goriahat, you have to pay Rs 20 or more for a private bus on the same route. Passengers again quarrel with the conductor over the fare of the bus. In such a situation, the bus owners are adamant on the demand for an official increase in bus fares. The state has also warned of cancellation of permits if the increased fare is taken in this situation. At the same time, the government does not want to put pressure on the pockets of the common people, who are under economic pressure due to the Kovid crisis. Meanwhile, the bus owners claim that it is not possible to run the bus in this way. This time the transport department will calculate how many buses are running on which route.
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