Bengal transport minister to carry talks with non-public bus homeowners associations

The initiatives embody introducing the ‘Yatri Sathi’ app throughout the transport sector for giving real-time updates about arrival of buses at designated stops.

Speaking to PTI, the minister mentioned within the Yatri Sathi app the place is my bus characteristic has already been rolled out in sure routes run by the state transport division within the metropolis as a pilot challenge, all state enterprise buses can be step by step introduced below its anvil by this yr.

“However, we need to thrash out certain issues with the private bus operators on the issue citing the cost of buying a smartphone for their drivers which will be linked with the app. Apart from bus owners unions, there are unions of bus employees and we need to take them on board. They are arguing a mobile will not cost less than ₹8,000 and cite the economy factor and the earning from a bus after several trips,” he mentioned.

Chakraborty mentioned the transport division has plans to place up digital show boards throughout bus shelters within the metropolis and neighbourhood and make the ready time for passengers minimal by streamlining the system.

“We are sympathetic to the concern of bus operators and the economic affordability issue. We are also mulling over the idea of bearing the cost of installing android phones in private bus driver cabins by involving some parties. But we have to contemporize the present transport system and infrastructure in the city proper and the surrounding metropolitan area,” he added.

The minister mentioned to a different query, that to minimise the variety of street mishaps, the federal government will even prevail upon bus operators to put in mirrors which can cowl the blind spot within the driver’s cabin.

A state transport official mentioned the app has already been launched on a pilot foundation in a number of state bus routes protecting south Kolkata and the world contiguous to airport and sector V Salt Lake and New Town.

West Bengal Private Bus and Minibus Owners Association spokesperson Pradip Narayan Bose mentioned the state is exerting stress on non-public bus homeowners to introduce Yatri Sathi’s Where is my bus a minimum of in some automobiles by July 25.

“We have put forward some proposals at a meeting – i.e. official ratification of ₹10 as first stage bus fare, bringing state and private buses under same permit system, making advertising agencies pay ₹12,000 annually for carrying back panel advertising boards and improve the road infrastructure,” he mentioned.

If the state insists with out accommodating these considerations, lots of the bus/mini buses will cease plying as a consequence of non-viability in enterprise, he mentioned.

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