Bengal bus operators call off three-day strike

Five bus operators' organisations in West Bengal on Sunday announced the withdrawal of their three-day strike from March 18.

In a press statement, the five organisations comprising the Joint Council of Bus Syndicate, West Bengal Bus & Minibus Owners' Association, Bengal Bus Syndicate, Mini Bus Operators Coordination Committee, and Inter & Intra Region Bus Association said they decided to call off the agitation as the election model code of conduct had come into force and the state administration would be unable to address their issues until the completion of the poll process.

The organisations, which have formed a platform called 'Gana Paribahan Banchao Committee' to advocate for their cause, are demanding a two-year extension of the lifespan of buses and minibuses beyond the 15-year expiry period. They argued that these vehicles were largely inactive due to the COVID-19 and lockdowns from 2020 to 2022.

Following the submission of a memorandum to the state transport minister on February 22, the organisations had called for a three-day strike and gave the government a 15-day ultimatum to address their grievances.

''We had informed the transport department about our decision. But as the poll dates were announced yesterday, the situation changed. The department has requested us not to go ahead with the strike call at this stage and promised to look into the issue once the election process gets over after June 4,'' PN Bose of West Bengal Bus & Minibus Owners' Association said.

According to a spokesperson of the Joint Council of Bus Syndicate, if the 15-year deadline for commercial vehicles set by the Calcutta High Court in 2009 comes into effect, more than 60 per cent of the 3,000 buses currently operating in the city and its neighboring districts, along with around 300 minibuses, will be taken off the roads from July.

The spokesperson highlighted the financial strain on operators, stating that they cannot afford to purchase new vehicles compliant with Bharat Stage 6 emission norms.

However, a transport official clarified that the department cannot extend the tenure of 15-year-old buses by two years, as it would contravene the court order.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)