Kolkata, Nov 13 (PTI) Bus owners associations of West Bengal urged Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to prevail upon the state transport department to give them a two-year 'lifeline' to 15-year-old vehicles, instead of forcing them to scrap the buses.
Joint Council of Bus Syndicate Secretary Tapan Banerjee said that as "suggested" by the Calcutta High Court to have a discussion between the operators and the government over the 15-year age limit and adopt a "humanitarian" approach to the issue.
Owners of buses plying on a route had moved the high court in October seeking a 2-year extension of the 15-year age limit for buses.
"Otherwise, 90 per cent of the existing fleet of buses running in Kolkata, North and South 24 Parganas, Howrah and Hooghly districts will vanish from the road from January 2025," he added.
West Bengal Private Bus and Minibus Owners Association spokesperson, Pradip Narayan Bose, said they have faith in the "pro-people CM" and are looking forward to a way out from the prevailing crisis."
The operators said from 9,000 private buses-mini buses, which were on road during pre-Covid days, the number went down to 3000-3500 in 2022 and further dwindled to 600-700 in August after meeting the 15-year deadline.
As per the 2009 Calcutta High Court order, once a commercial passenger vehicle reaches the 15-year old limit, they cannot ply on roads of the Kolkata Metropolitan region, consisting of the city's core area and neighbourhood, and Howrah.