Kolkata streets instill night buses from March keeping safety on top priority

Kolkata, February 26: Safety has always been a top concern for most of the people in many states. Coming this March 7 people will not have to depend only on app cabs, hired cars or personal transport, but this time they will have buses too. The state government has decided to start public transport system of buses at night for people to avail travelling.

The routes of the buses have been designed to touch upon all major transit points like Howrah, Sealdah and airport, besides major government hospitals and crematoria. Bengal transport minister Suvendu Adhikari flagged off 112 such buses. Each bus will travel between 10pm and 6am and will be fitted with panic buttons and GPS so that a passenger can raise an alarm in case of emergency. We are also talking to the Railways and airport authority to synchronize our services with late arrivals and early departures.

Out of 112 buses, 43 will be run in the city by WBTC and rest by NBSTC and SBSTC. Initially, 24 buses will ply touching upon Howrah, Sealdah, airport, Sector V, Karunamayee, Kasba, Gariahat and Ballygunge Phari. The fares will remain unchanged and the buses will do two round trips on every route. A transport department official said police in Kolkata and Howrah and the public vehicles department have given the necessary clearances. The buses will start from Howrah, where cops will be heavily deployed to instill a sense of security among passengers.

Along with this Adhikari also flagged off six modern vessels to ferry passengers between Naihati-Chinsurah, Manirampur-Seoraphuli, Rishra-Khardaha, Radharghat (east), Radharghat (west), Raichak-Kukrahati and Nandigram-Haldia.