Fewer buses on city roads, operators cite Sagar mela, SIR
Times of India | 11 January 2026
Kolkata: A part of south Kolkata and its adjoining suburbs, especially towards South 24 Parganas, are facing a sharp drop in bus availability, leaving daily commuters struggling with longer waits, overcrowding, and disrupted travel plans during peak hours. The situation is turning worse at night, with even buses that are hitting roads skipping their last trips.
Bus unions operating in Kolkata estimate that the number of buses on the road fell from an average of about 3,500 to roughly 2,700 in recent days, with services likely to remain the same till Jan 18.
Officials and private operators attributed the decline to a combination of seasonal, administrative, and event-related factors. A section of the fleet was deployed for the upcoming Gangasagar Mela, while the ongoing SIR voter list process reduced the availability of drivers and conductors who typically come from rural areas to operate services in the city. Operators also pointed to the impact of weather and police restrictions that, they said, curtailed regular movement on certain routes, particularly at weekends.
Titu Saha, a leader of City Suburban Bus Services, said cold weather affected staffing and willingness to run late services. "The cold weather discourages drivers and conductors from running buses in the evening, and weekend police pressures further reduce services," Saha said. He added that buses temporarily hired for a religious event in Hooghly last week, and the 2,500 buses deployed for Gangasagar duty (a section of 2,500 buses deputed from Mela duty cater to the city), also contributed to the shortfall.
Rahul Chatterjee, general secretary of the West Bengal Bus-Minibus Coordination Committee, said the SIR process had a direct operational impact on private services. "The SIR process prevents many rural drivers and conductors from operating private buses in the city, further worsening the situation," he said, indicating that staffing gaps are translating into fewer trips and reduced frequency on several corridors.
Commuters reported that the reduced fleet intensified crowding at major stops and terminals, with passengers often unable to board the first available bus. The shortage also led to irregular headways on some routes, forcing office-goers and students to rely on costlier alternatives or make multiple transfers.
"It became a pain to commute post 9 pm. Even major bus terminuses like Howrah and Esplanade had no buses coming towards south Kolkata except a few particular routes," said Amlan Bhattacharya, a resident of Behala Chowrasta.