PVT bus operators' body demand waterpouch, ORS for staff from EC, transport body

 “The employees attached to the 30 per cent of buses that were not procured by the Election Commission for conducting the Lok Sabha elections, and the remaining 70 per cent of the requisite fleet, are falling ill in the extreme heat conditions.

PTI, Kolkata, 29 April 2024  : Expressing concern over the scorching heat in Kolkata, southern districts of West Bengal and parts of the northern plains, an association of private bus operators on Monday asked transport and election officials to make arrangements for drinking water for bus staff.

The Joint Council of Bus Syndicate has the support of more than 70 per cent of BU operators in Kolkata, Howrah and North and South 24 Parganas districts of the state.

“The employees attached to the 30 per cent of buses that were not procured by the Election Commission for conducting the Lok Sabha elections, and the remaining 70 per cent of the requisite fleet, are falling ill in the extreme heat conditions.

"They are suffering from dehydration and showing signs of fatigue and heat stroke," said Tapan Banerjee, secretary of the Joint Council of Bus Syndicate.

He said that in the present situation a bus can complete two trips in a day instead of four, but the bus required for election duty has to carry policemen to security camps, booths and election officials from one place to another for hours. Is."We request the transport department to arrange for water pouches for BU employees at various points and depots. More importantly, we request the Election Commission to provide water and ORS pouches to those bus employees," Banerjee said. Those who are already doing election duty."

While around 7,500/8,000 buses operated in the city and neighborhood in pre-Covid times, the number has now come down to 3,000-3,5000.

Banerjee said one-third of bus workers have fallen ill due to the extreme heat in the last one week.

Due to the election process, seventy percent of this fleet has also disappeared from the roads.The Election Commission had recently increased the charges for hiring buses but the operators rejected it as not sufficient.

“Our employees have to be on election duty for at least 72 hours. Sometimes drivers and conductors have to be at work 24 hours a day for three-four days, but they get only Rs 250 as daily wage .

Banerjee said, "We demand Rs 500 as daily wage for each bus staff. This is absolutely necessary to sustain them due to extremely adverse weather conditions, even if water bags and ORS are not provided. Can go.,

The EC announced a fare rate of Rs 2530 for each bus, or Rs 1,900 per day, up from the 2019 fare rate