The Calcutta High Court is hearing a plea from a bus association member seeking a two-year grace period for 15-year-old buses impacted by pandemic-related losses. With operational buses dropping significantly, the request highlights the urgent need for balanced transportation regulations that consider both economic challenges for operators and environmental concerns.
Kolkata: A bus association office-bearer has moved the Calcutta High Court, requesting a two-year grace period for 15-year-old buses operating on city routes that have surpassed their expiry date. This appeal comes as the industry grapples with the financial aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Tapan Banerjee, general secretary of the Joint Council of Bus Syndicate and owner of several aging stage carriages, highlighted the dire situation facing bus operators, emphasizing that many routes could face even greater shortages if the transport department fails to address their concerns.
Banerjee said,
“We had previously appealed to the state government to provide us a two-year window for buses and minibuses attaining the age of 15 years due to losses incurred by bus operators during the two-year COVID period from 2020 to 2021. As that request was not granted, we have been forced to approach the high court as a last-ditched effort,”
On September 24, Banerjee, who also serves as the president of route no. 24 from Mukundapur to Howrah, filed a public interest litigation (PIL). The case was scheduled for hearing on October 4.
Banerjee further added,
“Though we have moved the court on behalf of a particular bus union syndicate, we are voicing the concerns of all other private bus operators who are faced with a similar fate,”
Banerjee noted a significant decline in the number of operational buses along various routes, dropping from an average of 100 to just 20-30 over the past four years. He attributed this decline to an August 1, 2009, Calcutta High Court order that prohibited commercial vehicles over 15 years old from plying in the Kolkata Metropolitan Area (KMA) to combat pollution.
Furthermore, Banerjee pointed out that the last bus fare hike occurred in 2018, while the prices of petrol and diesel have surged multiple times since then. The number of buses in the KMA has plummeted from approximately 7,000 before the 2009 order to just around 3,000 in 2024, according to another official from the bus association.
The appeal for a grace period underscores the urgent need for a balanced approach to transportation regulation, one that considers the economic realities faced by bus operators while still addressing environmental concerns. The forthcoming court ruling could significantly impact the future of public transportation in Kolkata, potentially safeguarding jobs and services for commuters.