WBTC initiates multi-route model to combat bus crisis
Times of India | 1 April 2026
Kolkata: In order to mitigate a severe govt bus crisis in the city, WBTC has started a fleet-optimisation strategy, deploying one bus across multiple routes throughout the day. The decision follows the sudden withdrawal of 397 govt buses from the streets due to lack of valid fitness certificates. Under the multi-route model, a single vehicle is scheduled to cover different corridors. For instance, a bus that usually plies on one route is redirected to serve another route during midday shifts, before returning to the depot as a bus on a third route.
However, the move has met with scepticism from commuters who describe it as a stop-gap measure that fails to address the underlying fleet depletion. tnn