The governments of West Bengal and Sikkim have agreed on a reciprocal Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to facilitate improved inter-state transport movement to cater to the summer tourists for the eastern Himalayan destination.

Representatives from both the governments, including Bengal’s transport minister Snehashish Chakraborty and Sikkim’s transport department adviser Madan Cinturi along with other key officials met at Siliguri on Wednesday.

Both the sides are keen on increasing the number of buses plying between Siliguri and Gangtok to 4,000 from the existing fleet of 3,000. There are plans to include electric buses in the route.

Apart from the most used Siliguri-Gangtok route, the Bengal government is also keen on popularising travel to Gangtok from other north Bengal districts like Alipurduar and Malda.

This was the first such meeting between officials from the two states in three year.

Car service owners in Siliguri had complained about the Bengal government’s insistence on issuing temporary permits to vehicles plying from Bengal to Sikkim, which are issued for 14 to 28 days, for which they are paying more than the operators in Sikkim.

A commercial cab registered in Bengal while entering or leaving Sikkim also has to pay an additional Rs. 200, while there is no such stipulation on vehicles registered in the Himalayan state.

State transport minister Snehashish Chakraborty said the existing agreement between the two states was being reviewed.

“There are some problem areas which have been discussed. We are confident the new agreement will be drawn with consensus from both sides,” the minister said.

According to officials in the Bengal transport department, the Sikkim officials have insisted that vehicles carrying tourists be allowed to travel from Siliguri and other places till Gangtok.

“For sightseeing from Gangtok to local tourist spots the Sikkim government prefers the local vehicle operators be allowed. Their argument is tourists are main source of earning for them,” said an official.