Pvt bus owners raise objections on transfer of bus stand to Tinbatti More

Sanchita Aich Bag | MP | 21 Aug 2023 | Siliguri: The private bus owners have objected to the decision to shift the local bus stand from the Siliguri Town Station adjacent area to Tinbatti More. Gautam Deb, Mayor of Siliguri, held a meeting with private bus owners at PWD Inspection Bungalow on Monday in the presence of S Ponnambalam, District Magistrate of Darjeeling. 

“Soon, we will have a meeting with the state Transport department officials about various traffic-related issues. There is no other way to resolve the traffic congestion without shifting the bus stand. However, the problems put forward by the bus owners are also genuine. We are trying to find a solution which will be beneficial for all,” the Mayor said. 

The bus owners complained that if the bus stand is shifted, the number of passengers will decrease. Pranab Kanti Mani, Secretary of The North Bengal Passengers Transport Owner’s Co-Ordination Committee, said: “If the buses are shifted to Tinbatti More, passengers have to take auto or toto to reach Tinbatti and then they will have to board the buses. It is time consuming and they will also have to pay extra fare just to reach the bus stand in another vehicle. The passengers will then prefer city autos or other vehicles that are readily available in the locality. 

The city auto’s and totos also ply on the same routes as our buses. Why should a passenger take another mode of transport to reach a bus stand and not take a city auto or toto that is readily available? Our buses will have zero passengers.” 

A total of 110 private buses run on local routes between Siliguri and Matigara, Kharibari, Naxalbari and other nearby areas. In another development, the Terai Chalak Sangathan took out a protest rally against state buses plying to Darjeeling via Rohini route. The taxi drivers have alleged that they are facing huge losses owing to the NBSTC buses. 

Courtesy & source: Millennium Post

https://www.millenniumpost.in/bengal/pvt-bus-owners-raise-objections-on-transfer-of-bus-stand-to-tinbatti-more-530012