Kolkata: With diesel prices do not show signs of cessation, public transportation in the city, especially the bus, has taken a crisis.
Even after collecting enhanced costs (RS 2 extra per stage), the bus operator struggled to manage breakthroughs.
On weekdays, even in the celebration period, 40% of the buses remain on the road in Kolkata.
After puja, the demand supply gap is expected to widen, forcing passengers to pay much higher to go to and from the workplace.
But even after ‘unofficial revisions’ costs, the bus remains the cheapest travel mode.
The last rate was revised in 2018, when Diesel prices were Rs 69 per liter.
After that, the price drops.
When locking was announced in March 2020, Diesel prices were Rs 63.64 per liter.
On Monday, diesel prices reached Rs 96.24 after 11 consecutive nails in October alone.
“At this level, the price of diesel will definitely reach the Seabad before Lakshmi Puja.
After that, all workplaces will operate and there will be fewer buses,” said Anirudhha Ghosh, a transportation economist.
Even the bloody transportation undertakings (stus) and shedding buses have dropped significantly.
“We tried to run more electric buses.
The majority of our Volvo air conditioning bus was pulled from city routes because they were bigger diesel guzzlers.
Even a few years ago, we can manage operating profits.
But now it’s unthinkable,” said an official Stu Bengal Transport Corporation which presents the city area.
However, as far as the people concerned, the private bus transported Lion’s passenger share.
“If the diesel price reaches Rs 100 per liter, there will be less than 10% of the bus on the road and will demand higher rates, at least an extra 5 RS per stage, to maintain mobility.
The state must announce the revised fee, if not, Rata commuting will pay three times the cost of traveling at the same distance in other mode of transportation, “said Title Saha, Secretary, Suburban City Bus service.
The weakening of the bus service has been harmful to cause growth in personalized use of vehicles, such as two and four wheels, which only increase congestion and pollution because city limited road spaces cannot increase the growth of such vehicles, said a senior transportation department officer.
The roads are very choking during the peak hours, even though the school campus is closed now.
Think about how terrible the situation is when school and college are reopened, “he said.” We seriously think of CNG as an alternative.
The faster reaches the city, the better for public transportation, “said a senior bureaucrat.
However, the CNG Gail pipeline has been trapped in several places in the district due to land issues.” Unless they are resolved on the basis of the top priority, the supply of CNG will be in the gas casket and It will never be commercially sustainable, “said Subhas Datta, who had fought with a long-drawn legal battle at NGT to bring CNG to the city faster.