Bus strike pinch spares districts

.Passengers at the bus stand in Asansol on Monday. Picture by Gour Sharma 

TT; Sept. 17: Private buses stayed off roads in south Bengal districts but people were spared the pinch as other modes of transport such as autos filled in the void on a day most offices and schools remained closed because of Vishwakarme puja. Bus owners in Hooghly stayed away from the strike that hit other districts over demand for a fare hike following a Rs 5 rise in diesel price. 

 They argued they wanted to give the government time till September 19 to decide on their demand. It being Vishwakarma Puja today, fewer people were seen on the roads, a reason why the strike had less effect. Students and office-goers were not affected as educational institutions and factories remained closed because of Vishwakarma puja. In Burdwan district, nearly 3,500 private buses, including long-distance ones, did not ply, causing harassment to traders, most of whom depend on the buses to travel to other town. Bus owners said the strike would hit people hard when schools and offices re-open tomorrow.

 “Usually most buses do not ply on Viswakarma puja. People were prepared for this. So the impact would be felt from tomorrow. We are helpless. We can’t run buses unless the fare is increased,” said Tushar Ghosh, secretary of the Burdwan District Bus Association. Autos plied normally in Asansol and Durgapur. Minibuses were also seen on the road in Guskara, Burdwan, Asansol and Durgapur, providing relief to many.

 There are more than 40,000 autos in Asansol and Durgapur and over a 1,000 minibuses. In East and West Midnapore, and Nadia, trekkers and motorised cycle vans came to the rescue of passengers. Subho Maity, 36, a Tamluk resident who has a unit in Tollygunge to manufacture plastic packets and files, said: “When I was returning home this evening, I took a train to Mecheda and from there I took a motorised van to my home in Tamluk, 15km away. 

There were no buses. If the motorised vans were not there, I would have been in trouble," Subho said. Traders in Katwa and Kalna had to hire minitrucks to come to Burdwan and buy materials. “I needed to come to Burdwan town to buy garments for my shop in Natunhat in Mangalkote. I accompanied 10 other traders and hired a minitruck as there were no bus today. It would be troublesome and costly for us if the strike continues,” Moktar Ali, a garment shop owner.

 Nearly 163 long distance inter district buses did not leave from Asansol bus terminus for Bankura, Murshidabad, Purulia, Burdwan town, Suri, Bolpur. Passengers got stranded at the bus terminus in Asansol. “I had come to Asansol to buy some electrical goods for my shop in Bankura town yesterday. I want to return today but have learnt that buses will not ply after coming to the terminus. Now, I will have to stay back in the town in a hotel.

 I do not know for how long the strike will continue,” said Badal Ghosh, 45, who owns an electronics showroom in Bankura. In the districts, trekkers and motorised cycle vans came in handy for passengers. Anarul Haque, 37, a resident of Bethuadahari and a private tutor in Nadia, today took a trekker to his student’s house in Dhubulia, about 15-km from his home. “On other days, I take a bus but today I took a trekker as buses were on strike.

 The trekkers were crowded but at least it was of great help,” said Anarul. In Nadia, nearly 1,100 private buses on 150 routes remained off the roads. People in Calcutta felt the pinch because private buses and taxis stayed off the roads.