Painted blue and yellow, private buses in Kolkata are often seen racing down the city thoroughfares even as the commuters inside the vehicles send up silent prayers while trying to keep themselves somehow perched on the edges of their seats. These buses are seldom seen as identification markers of the city as trams or yellow taxies.
Truth to tell, these buses do not quite seem to fit in the genteel image of Kolkata. Their drivers move their vehicles at breakneck speed with the conductors egging them on to reach their designated depots before another vehicle of the same route and grab a tidy commission.
Not all the vehicles are well maintained. In fact, a Bengali film has been themed on an ill maintained bus running over a school boy whose father trekking a tortuous route hauls the automobile parts company in court and gets justice for his deceased son.
But there is another part of the story. The private buses are part and parcel of Kolkata’s transport system carrying crowds between localities and those boarding them do not avail private cars or taxis.
The private bus will be honoured at an event in the city which is a clear pointer that it is not doing a thankless job. As part of it, installations in buses will be placed in different parts of the city.
On a rough estimate, 3,500-odd private buses in the operate in Kolkata. The number is a significant drop from nearly 6,000 buses that were in service before 2020 COVID pandemic.
Bus fares were last revised in 2018 is an indication that viability issues were key factors behind the decline in number. It appears to be a revival time now of which the birthday party is a pointer that private buses contribution to keep the city on the move is receiving recognition.
The focus on this form of transport is to be lauded. But it is necessary to look deeper into the condition of the city’s private buses beyond the sentimental and artistic approach.
It is not an easy task as these buses spewing diesel smoke are way behind in aesthetic appeal vis-a-vis the majestic trams making their way through the verdant Maidan. Incidentally, the sight of a tram trundling through the rolling green field which is part and parcel of the city used to be one of the nostalgic memories Sharmila Tagore nursed after she left the city post marriage.
But trams roll along a curtailed route these days. The private buses, on the other hand, can move around in greater number once their owners overcome financial uncertainty and poor returns on investments.
The increase in the number of private buses can cut down the unacceptable prolonging of waiting time of commuters at bus stops. It can also prevent diversion of passengers to auto rickshaws and two wheelers.
There has to be a change of scene and sooner the better. Correctives that can bring in a sea change include electrification of buses, doubling their fleet, rationalisation of routes arrangement for the disabled.
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The connectivity between the neighbourhoods by buses should go up. The needs of operators and commuters should get top priority.
Financial bottlenecks should be addressed immediately and with care. But the issue is larger
The role of buses should be seen in the context of the emerging transport system in the city as a whole. The whole system should be rationalised to ensure connectivity at the lowest price possible.
Unsafe practises like rash driving are associated with private buses as seen when lives are snuffed out frequently needs to be urgently addressed. Only then can
the spirit of “private bus birthday party” fruitfully match with a growing population and advancing technology.
