Keep at least 40% buses running on each route, appeal unions

Kolkata: In an appeal addressed to the state transport department, bus unions have asked for immediate measures to be taken to ensure that at least 30%-40% of buses on each route continue operations even if the rest are withdrawn for election purposes.The City Suburban Bus Service, led by Titu Saha, raised an urgent alarm regarding the haphazard requisitioning of private buses for the upcoming assembly election. In a letter to the principal secretary of the transport dept, Saha highlighted a growing trend of police intercepting route buses mid-journey and forcing passengers to disembark. The union has now sought a firm assurance that even as vehicles are diverted for poll logistics at least 40% of the fleet remains operational to prevent a total collapse of city mobility.The letter comes at a time when a looming public transport crisis is set to grip Kolkata starting Monday, with transport officials estimating that more than half of the city's fleet is being diverted to ferry CAPF personnel and polling staff. Worse, these buses are lining up outside police stations and institutions where the CAPF is lodged, with most buses not even being put to use. Among routes severely hit are 45, 21/1 and 227.Impact of these requisitions is already being felt across the metropolitan area, where commuters report dwindling services and dangerously overcrowded vehicles, especially with autos restricting their operations due to the ongoing fuel crisis.The situation is further exacerbated by the fact that more than 400 state-run buses are currently off the roads due to poor maintenance. According to Saha, the scale of the current requisition is unprecedented, with police alone seizing approximately 1,600 buses and RTOs taking another 400. The union's petition argues that the current method of "random" road seizures is chaotic and poorly coordinated, often sending local city buses on long-distance journeys to north Bengal that they are not equipped to handle. The operators have suggested that long-distance buses be prioritised for such tasks to minimise anomalies and ensure that the staff members, who rely on daily route earnings, are not pushed into financial distress.The bus unions have demanded that all honorariums be cleared with a 100% advance payment to the owners, alongside the implementation of an efficient rotation system. Joint Council of Bus Syndicates has labelled the early and unannounced requisitioning as "unethical", with general secretary Tapan Banerjee urging the govt to coordinate directly with route committees. As training for poll personnel on in full swing, transport officials too admitted difficulty in balancing essential public services with mandatory EC requirements.