Calcutta buses for two towns

Sourav Chakrabarty (Main Uddin Chisti)

TT, Cooch Behar, June 8: The North Bengal State Transport Corporation will launch buses to connect Cooch Behar and Alipurduar towns with Calcutta and Assam, corporation chairman Sourav Chakrabarty said here today.

The NBSTC also plans to extend its services to Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan.

Chakrabarty, who resumed the post of the NBSTC chairman today, said: "We have decided to start Volvo buses between Calcutta and Cooch Behar and Calcutta and Alipurduar. There will be bus service between Cooch Behar and Kamakshya in Assam as well. We are holding talks to finalise the purchase of two Volvo buses. They will be introduced before the Durga Puja. The fares are being worked out."

Sources said one bus would run on each route on alternate days. There are no direct buses from Cooch Behar and Alipurduar to Calcutta now.

"We have started the process to launch buses between north Bengal and the neighbouring countries of Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan," Chakrabarty, the Alipurduar Trinamul MLA, told reporters at the NBSTC headquarters, Paribahan Bhavan, here today.

He added that the NBSTC would introduce air-conditioned buses with toilets for some long-distance routes.

"The NBSTC has 777 buses. Recently, we procured 58 non-AC buses that will be assigned to rural areas. The routes are being identified. Ninety new buses will be added to the NBSTC fleet this fiscal," Chakrabarty said.

He said stress would be given on improving the work culture and ensuring that the buses ran on time.