Cooch Behar, Aug. 18: A red-coloured double-decker rolled out of the Cooch Behar bus terminus on a sunny morning and crawled along the dusty Pundibari-Sonepur route. As the conductor tugged at the plastic rope that caused a bell to ring near the driver’s cabin, the large vehicle screeched to a halt. As passengers hopped on to the bus and rushed up the stairs to find a front seat, the bell tinkled again. The bus honked and started on its journey.

That was in 1970, when the excitement of riding in a 20-feet high bus was still fresh and the roads were full of them.

The Bristol double-decker was introduced in Cooch Behar in 1961. As the residents took a liking for the bus that had a majestic upper storey and offered its passengers views of both sides of the road, the number was increased from three to 15 by the North Bengal State Transport Corporation (NBSTC).

Today, the district has only two of these buses. According to authorities, even these two might be gone soon.

“There are hardly any takers for these two-storied buses. They have almost become antique items. The demand has nose-dived. The main reason seems to be its slow speed. Nowadays, there are faster modes of conveyance and no one wants to be late. Apart from that, maintenance cost of these buses is very high. Then comes the condition of the roads. It is extremely difficult for the driver of a double-decker bus to negotiate a pot-holed road,” said NBSTC chairman Sudhir Pramanik.

“We realise there is a lot of history and nostalgia attached to these buses and that is why we have been running these two double-deckers, despite the losses,” he added.

According to NBSTC sources, the double-deckers buses were popular even till the Nineties. The first buses began to be scrapped because of mechanical problems and non-availability of spare parts.

Oldtimers of Cooch Behar remember the mad scramble for the front seats of the second storey.

Kalipad Pal, 70, says: “The towering height of the buses attracted a lot of passengers even though it travelled at a slow speed. It always remained crammed with people. Today, it feels as if the double-decker buses were left behind by the bygone era. Stopping the bus service would mean cutting off a part of Cooch Behar’s heritage.

Seventy-two-year-old Bimalendu Chakraborty of Khagrabari recalls the king-like feeling that took possession of him as he occupied an oporer tolla (upper storey) seat. “I felt nice and relaxed. I feel sad that I may not see the bus anymore. The NBSTC bosses are not even interested in restoring the condition of the buses.”

Madhabi Mullick feels it is not long before these double-deckers buses will become a part of history. “I am determined to take my grandson for a ride on the double-decker before it disappears from Cooch Behar,” said the septuagenarian.