Will bring back state buses, trams: Arjun Singh

Kolkata: Newly appointed transport minister Arjun Singh hit the ground running on his first day in office, demanding a comprehensive three-month roadmap for the rapid deployment of buses and the revival of the city’s iconic tram services.

Confronting senior department officials over the ongoing commuter crisis, Singh made his stance clear: “My job is to overcome challenges, not to lie bogged down by them.” He ordered the department to work in unison to restore public transit infrastructure, which, he claimed, was systematically dismantled by the previous administration.

“The last govt caused serious problems for public transport. There are hardly any buses on the roads, and trams were almost entirely abolished,” Singh said. He said the priority is to assess and optimize existing infrastructure. Notably, the revival of the tram system aligns with PM Narendra Modi’s campaign promise to integrate trams with the metro network to ensure a seamless “e-trip” for commuters.

When questioned about potential operational hurdles, the minister brushed them aside. “Challenges are for those who don’t work. For me, they are opportunities. As a grassroots politician, I know the struggles of the common man.” He added that buses must be upgraded to world-class standards to incentivize citizens to leave their personal vehicles at home.

Singh raised sharp questions regarding fleet tracking and operational efficiency, demanding absolute transparency for commuters. “Citizens must have precise information on when a bus is arriving at a stop,” he insisted, while calling for immediate route rationalization to fix current imbalances where high-demand routes lack vehicles while underutilized routes have empty buses.

The minister also ordered an immediate halt to the controversial offloading of transport department assets, revealing that hundreds of new buses were left rotting at the Barasat depot under the previous regime.

“The past govt was hell-bent on selling depot lands, which directly crippled tram services,” Singh asserted. Warning of a thorough investigation into the mismanagement of state assets, he said, “If there are blatant misdeeds with govt properties, the responsible parties will have to face the music.”

“There is a dearth of bus drivers and conductors. We will look into the issues and try to solve them fast,” he said, adding that women will be encouraged to avail of free rides on govt buses.