Kolkata: Several new air-conditioned (AC) bus routes have been drawn up for the city as it is set to get a fleet of 200 CNG buses in the coming months. This comes days after gradual introduction of 25 AC buses, as part of the green fleet, marking a significant step towards reducing pollution, enhancing commuter comfort and modernisation of the city's public transport infrastructure.
The buses will be introduced in the city by the West Bengal Transport Corporation (WBTC). The orders for these vehicles had been placed several months back. Several of these bus routes are either completely new or have been created after extensions or revival of the old routes. The WBTC had received the first batch of 6 Eicher 2090 CNG AC buses at its Kasba depot, signalling the commencement of the ambitious project in Dec.
According to sources, said a total of 21 bus routes were conceived, where these AC CNG buses will ply. Sources said the future of these routes will depend on their viability. Commuters, though, said unless the frequency of these buses was increased, the viability could never be judged.
At present, WBTC is linking Kolkata with Howrah, North 24 Parganas, South 24 Parganas, and the New Town–Sector V corridor with these routes. Key northbound services include ACT-1 Kudghat–Barasat, ACT-35 Joka–Barasat, and ACT-40 Tollygunge–Habra via Airport and Madhyamgram.
Suburban links include ACT-24 Sealdah–Howrah/Gashbagan, ACT-32 Howrah–Barrackpur Lalkuthi, and ACT-34 Tollygunge–Barrackpur Lalkuthi. South and southwest connectivity is covered by ACT-26 Howrah–Baruipur, ACT-33 Saltlake–Baruipur, and ACT-37 Howrah–Diamond Harbour.
IT hub routes include ACT-21 KWIC–Ecospace, ACT-36 Belgachhia–Ecospace, and ACT-23 Park Circus–Dankuni via Newtown and Airport. Additional services include ACT-38 Karunamoyee–Barrackpur Lalkuthi, ACT-39 Esplanade–Rajbalhat, and ACT-41 RG Kar–Joka. The state govt had earlier allocated Rs 125 crore for this initiative. The 200-strong new fleet will consist of 120 semi-deluxe buses, 50 deluxe buses, and 30 midi buses, each designed to cater to different commuter needs. The semi-deluxe and deluxe buses, both 12m long, are priced at Rs 65 lakh and Rs 70.4 lakh, respectively, while the 9m midi buses are priced at Rs 42 lakh each. The initiative is expected to be fully operational before March next year.