The North Bengal State Transport Corporation (NBSTC) will launch a smart card ticketing system before Durga Puja, introduce six Volvo sleeper buses and revise the wages of contractual workers.
The decisions were made at the 235th board meeting of the NBSTC held in Cooch Behar recently.
Parthapratim Roy, the chairman of the NBSTC, said that the smart card system was 90 per cent ready and passengers would be able to preload money, like mobile top-ups, and use the cards to buy tickets before or after boarding buses.
“The scheme will eventually link with the state’s overall public transport network, allowing use on all government buses in Bengal,” he said.
According to him, as of now, NBSTC has six Volvo sleeper buses.
“We have requested the state transport department to provide us with six more such buses and want to run these on routes like Behrampore-Digha. The NBSTC will also open 30 new routes and close some loss-making routes. The buses will display advertisements of the state’s welfare schemes,” he added.
From September, the wages of around 500 contract workers serving at the NBTSC, including 300 security guards and 200 other workers, will rise by ₹500 per month, said sources.
“This will increase their monthly pay from ₹9,500 to ₹10,000. From January 1, 2026, they will receive ₹11,500,” said an official.
Around 1,000 conductors and mechanics, who also work on a contractual basis, will see their salaries go up by ₹2,000 and ₹3,000, respectively, by December.
“Until the wage revision is implemented, they will have the option to take advance payments of ₹2,500 or ₹3,500 per month,” he added.