Polls over but fewer buses on roads

KOLKATA: Although most taxis and mini-buses were back on Kolkata's streets after election duty on Thursday, passengers who depend on private buses might still be in for a day or two of hardship. Not only are a large number of buses yet to be released by the Election Commission, even many of those which have returned cannot be pressed into service immediately due to staff constraints.
"The situation is very difficult for us, as a significant number of buses that have been requisitioned by the Election Commission haven't been returned yet.Although the precise number is hard to determine, between 65%-70% of private buses are not operating in Kolkata," Bengal Bus Syndicate Vice-President Dipak Sarkar said.
The city has a fleet of about 6,000 private buses, and full service is not expected to resume for another two days.
Sarkar who owns buses that ply on the Mail Colony to New Alipore/Behala route said the situation in some routes were dire. "Normally, the 3B, 3D and 3D/1 routes have a total of 100 buses. On Thursday, however, we operated with just 28 buses as the remaining buses were yet to return. The situation is not very different in many routes on the north-south axis. For instance, routes 47, 3C and 3C/1 are also short on buses," he said.
The possible preference of electoral and security staff to use private buses to transport larger groups of people could be a possible reason for their continued absence, Sarkar said. The carrying capacity and floor space of a private bus is relatively higher than a mini-bus.
On his part, though, state chief electoral officer Debashis Sen said the release of requisitioned vehicles would happen on an ad-hoc basis, but assured that none would be retained unnecessarily.
"The release of vehicles is not a centralised process. It is up to the Returning Officers to let them go once their job is done. Although they will not be kept back after the polling is complete, it is possible that police and other security forces might be using them to transport their men," Sen said.
Even if the requisitioned buses return to Kolkata immediately, a significant number might have to stay off the streets due to paucity of staff. "After two or three days of duty, most drivers and helpers would want a few days off before resuming their usual shifts. As there is the requirement of at least three people in a bus, most vehicles will not be able to ply unless the owner has arranged for others," Sarkar said.
Despite the grim situation, there was some good news. Bus owner Ashish Dey, who had 11 vehicles requisitioned by the EC, saw all his vehicles returning on Thursday. "All my buses which ply on route 222 are back and I have made arrangements for alternative staff. All these vehicles will go into service tomorrow," he said.