During a recent administrative meeting, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had said, “The transport department has become silent. Many people wait on the roads. I frequently get to see that.”

She directed Minister Snehasis Chakraborty to personally assess the challenges faced by commuters relying on public transport.

In 2023-24, the South Bengal State Transport Corporation operated 683 buses on 353 routes, while in 2024-25, 773 buses served 424 routes. The current target for 2025-26 remains 850 buses on 457 routes. Currently, 640 buses ply on Kolkata’s roads, an increase from the previous 550 in the city.

In Newtown, the number of buses per shift has increased from 18 to 26, resulting in a significant rise in trips — a total of 156 runs per day. “Special circular routes have been introduced, covering major points in cities like Rasbehari, Gariahat, Kalighat, Alipore, Exide, and PTS,” said a senior transport official.

The North Bengal State Transport Corporation added 53 new buses to the fleet last year, increased 24 services, and introduced nine new routes in the last nine years. It further aims to add 110 CNG buses to Kolkata’s fleet and introduce 30 new routes within the next year.

Bus services in several districts is collapsing due to a sharp decline in the number of operational buses over the last four years. This follows a 2009 court order banning buses older than 15 years in the Kolkata area.

A joint bus drivers’ syndicate last year petitioned the High Court for a two-year exemption, and the HC asked the state to consider it. The syndicate cited economic losses during the pandemic. The average number of buses operating on routes across several districts has plummeted from around 100 to merely 20-30 over the last four years.