The state Transport department is considering starting a crackdown on private buses plying illegally from Babughat Bus Depot. The department is mulling levying fines on buses plying without valid permits from the bus terminus at Babughat, informed state Transport minister Arjun Singh today.
As pointed out by the minister, around 250 buses are operated from the Babughat Bus Depot. Of the total, most of the buses are being operated without valid permits. The department officials are said to be inspecting the depot almost every day as a part of the crackdown on the illegal bus routes. “The bus routes would not be suspended. Rather fines would be imposed. If they are penalised monetarily, they would take valid permits by themselves,” said the Transport minister.
“This system is followed in various developed countries where the police do not obstruct the bus services instead impose penalties. We will also implement such a system here. Those going the illegal way will have to pay fines and they would be bound to follow proper norms,” he added.
Emphasising revamp of bus depots and bus stops in the state, the minister said, “In the days to come, citizens would not be able to see any dilapidated bus stops. We will redevelop bus stops and bus terminuses like those seen in the foreign countries. In the next six months, no one would have to take help from the touts. Everything would be made online and there would be no need to shell out any amount to the touts.”
Mr Singh was speaking during the flagging off event of a new network of inter-state luxury Volvo bus services connecting Kolkata and Delhi, Bengaluru, Chennai and Puri launched by Shyamoli Paribahan Private Limited today. As part of its fleet expansion, the company has rolled out a total of 50 new Volvo 9600 SLX coaches across its network. The new fleet was flagged off at Karunamoyee Bus Terminus in Salt Lake.