[anjan_c2007]

The average Kolkata resident relies on the public transport network to commute. The trams have nearly vanished. The Metro plies on select routes. Shared taxis are not the norm, while three wheelers carry 5 passengers excluding the driver during rush hours. Most of these three wheelers serve feeder routes for other modes of transport. Buses are almost the backbone of public transport for the metropolis.

The news that more than 2000 buses were off the roads during 2024, giving harrowing times to commuters is disturbing. The state government's first administrative meeting, chaired by the Chief Minister for 2025 on 02.01.25 expressed concern over the worsening public transport scenario as a result. Last year, as many as 2,185 buses went off roads, even as only 154 new ones were registered in the twin cities on either side of the Hooghly river. This does not work out to even 10% of the lost fleet. By October 2025, operators say that barely 10% of the 1900 bus fleet as of now will be roadworthy.

Operators cite their grievances owing to multiple buses, allotted on the same route, that have to compete for passengers. 20 intracity bus routes plus those connecting the suburbs are on the verge of extinction. State-run buses are too few to bridge this gap. These buses are ageing and suffer frequent breakdowns. The steady decay of public transport has also fuelled a surge in private transport, especially that of two-wheelers, as commuters seek more reliable alternatives. This sharp surge in private vehicles has, in turn, contributed to traffic snarls that is bound to create more chaos.

For the daily commuter, the discontinuation of tram services from most routes has only worsened their plight, especially after sundown, when many buses stop plying. For them, the average wait time for buses has become longer.

Bus operators said they need Rs 25 lakh for each bus to be replaced - the chassis costs Rs 18 lakh, the body Rs 6 lakh, and documentation another Rs 1 lakh - complaining that unless finance costs were lowered, sustaining the trade might become difficult. The BS VI buses are too few in the bus fleet.

From the newslink:-

The CM struck a chord when she remarked, "Transport is a silent department. Have you conducted a survey to determine where an increase in bus frequency is needed? I have myself noticed how people wait for buses after office hours."

"The CM rightly mentioned Sector V, but other major transit points, like Sealdah, Ultadanga, airport, Ruby crossing, Burrabazar and Howrah, are the same. Most of the commuters need to take several autos, paying five times the fare of a single bus trip," said Anirban Ghosh, a transport economist.

The link :-

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/.../116933172.cms

Kolkata's public transport woes and nightmares could be a precursor to the similar grievances most other cities and towns will face henceforth, owing to the mandatory deregistration of commercial vehicles 15 years after these were first registered, as notified by the Union Transport Ministry. The 15 year norm was already applicable to all metros post an Apex Court ruling nearly two decades ago. But the new Transport Ministry notification of 2021 bans all 15 year plus CV's everywhere in India that have to be compulsorily deregistered wef 01.04.2022.

[hikozaru]

Buses are cool. No need for land acquisition, digging up the entire city to build metro, and then buy trains and run them. I would really like to see how much a 4 car metro train costs compared to 4 AC buses. If it costs the same, it really is a no brainer to spam all our cities with these. As I type this, I have the only bike (and no cars) in my 5 storey building because public transport is somewhat tenable. This will also make it so that driving and riding is done only by enthusiasts.

[nitishk]

for the uninitiated, this contraption is a "bus" , Lets not talk about the thought/need to replace these

[Rajeevraj]

This is becoming the story of bus based public transport across India. Somehow the data that a majority of India depends on buses for transport has been lost. All our cities are moving towards a private vehicle based transport infrastructure. Among public transport options, buses seem to have the lowest priority. In Bangalore- BMTC, which is actually one of the better run city transport corporation, also faced a reduction in buses on the road. The city needs 6000 buses, but only around ~2500 operate on a regular basis. The latest news is that some of the older buses are now being given away to transport corporations in the Tier2/3 cities of Karnataka as they don't have enough buses and there are no funds to procure.

When I was in Kerala recently, was noticing the bus transport there. This was also disheartening, apart from Trivandrum where there is a state government transport presence, rest of the state depends on private buses. Most buses running are at least 10-15 years old and there are never enough buses.

Across the country(maybe there are some exceptions), bus fleets are aging, reducing in numbers or remaining flat and there does not seem to be much action to address it.

[Sensible_Speed]

The government is deliberately underfunding public transportation all over the country. They're running the revenue department like a damn business. More cars sold = more tax revenue. Why think about the common person? Public transport systems cost the exchequer in tax revenue. The metros are all big money projects that everyone in the government can skim large sums off of. What corrupt profits are to be made in purchasing a measly bus?

India is turning into an increasingly dystopian society by the passing minute. The city I live in used to have a very strong bus system. Nowadays, the number of buses have reduced, but ticket prices have gone up by almost 80% in the last 4 years!

[antz.bin]

Metro cannot reach everywhere. Especially during the early years.

But somehow as soon as the a new metro line becomes operational, 30% of buses are taken off the road. As if the Metro was supposed to replace the bus, not complement it. This is happening in Pune, this happened in Mumbai. And now the same seems to be happening in Kolkata as well.

The metro is supposed to provide a viable, safe, reliable and comfortable option to those commuting by car so as the city can be decongested. A car driver won't switch easy. That's the reason metro can choose to be more expensive than the bus. Because it will still be less expensive than going by car.

But without buses, nobody can reach the metro station. Most metro routes connect mass transit places like inter-city bus stands, railway stations, airports. Do you know who uses these mass transit places? People coming from out of town!

Without buses, the Metro serves people who don't live in the city better than those who do. So all the property taxes and metro cess the city residents paid to build this massive infra project only helps the people who paid nothing for it (those who live in nearby towns/villages who come into our city for their business and go back). The people coming into the big city from out of town can use the metro more comfortably than those who actually paid for it.

Originally Posted by hikozaru

I would really like to see how much a 4 car metro train costs compared to 4 AC buses.

The budget for the 23km Hinjewadi metro is Rs.8,313Cr. This will surely escalate since the completion date has already been moved ahead by 6 months.

By comparison, a single Tata Starbus Electric Low floor bus costs Rs. 2.2 Cr. And about 40-50 lakh for a CNG + AC bus.

Obviously, these are not interchangeable. Both are required for making a city liveable.

[lejhoom]

Then there are those mini buses. Red and yellow. Goes much faster than the regular buses. Downside: roof height. It’s a torture for any one close to 5’10” or above as a standing passenger.

[anjan_c2007]

Post the news from the East comes another from the West. Maharashtra has a backlog of 24,000 buses especially in its urban roadscape. A report by the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP) India reveals a severe bus shortage in Maharashtra's urban areas, with a deficit of 24,000 buses. The state needs 28,800 buses for 44 cities and towns, but currently has only 8,700, with 3,500 nearing retirement.

As per the data, Mumbai Metropolitan Region, including Mumbai where BEST buses ply, requires 15,600 buses. However, the study shows that as of March 2022, there were only 4,688 buses available with various bus transport undertakings. The study states that the latest analysis sheds light on this crisis, and highlights the urgent need to expand urban bus services statewide.

The 44 cities and towns in Maharashtra sans bus services need at least 24,000 new buses, which will have multifarious positive impacts on the ecology and economy apart from dramatically improving urban mobility. “Introducing 24,000 new buses can lead to the removal of 19 lakh cars and 30 lakh two-wheelers trips from Maharashtra roads daily,” said Vaishali Singh, programme manager, Transport Systems and Electric Mobility, ITDP India. “The analysis uses data from the March 2022 report of the Central Institute of Road Transport (CIRT), Pune, for consistency.

The link:-
https://www.hindustantimes.com/citie...055440700.html

The metrics are researched by the CIRT, Pune and are figures from March 2022. Their claims that addition of 24,000 buses can remove 19 lakh car and 30 lakh two wheeler road trips are rosy projections and are debatable.

[digitalnirvana]

There is a reason that has not been mentioned, and one which is unique to Kolkata at least among the metro cities. Almost all the bus routes are run by private operators and this is by design - due to chronic underfunding, inefficiency and corruption in the state run transport corporations. So the transport system is dependent on economics of supply and demand, rather than a state run public service.

As buses age, they need to be repaired or refitted to conform to the newer emission norms. Else they need to be scrapped and newer models have to be repurchased. The operators need easy financing schemes and more importantly they need fares to be sustainable for maintaining operations.

Fares have been kept artificially at the same rate for more than a decade due to political compulsions. Hence more bus operators decide to not run them anymore as its no longer profitable. This is the single biggest reason for the drastic reduction in buses at least in the twin cities. The Metro can only do so much.

We need buses at different price points e.g. AC Volvo buses, semi luxury buses, and normal buses within the cities. People would still pay fair value for reliable and efficient private or public buses because the poorest simply cannot afford an Uber or Ola, or a share taxi. WBTC could take a lesson or two from the BMTC & KSRTC systems.