A platform of five private bus operators’ associations in West Bengal on Friday announced a three-day strike from May 22, demanding immediate resolution of long-pending issues, including a two-year extension for vehicles older than 15 years and an end to alleged police excesses over traffic violations.

The five associations — Joint Council of Bus Syndicates, Bengal Bus Syndicate, West Bengal Bus-Mini Bus Owners Association, Minibus Operators Co-ordination Committee and Inter and Intra Region Bus Association — which have come together under a unified platform called Besarkari Jatri Paribahan Banchao Committee (Save Passenger Transport Committee) have urged Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to sit for talks with the bus operators by May 20.

PN Bose, spokesperson of the Inter and Intra Region Bus Association, told PTI, "Private bus operators are yet to recover from the losses incurred during the Covid-19 lockdown in 2020. The state government has not announced a viable financial package for the stage carriage sector, which is now struggling for survival." In a letter to the Chief Minister’s Office, the bus operators also requested DGP Rajiv Kumar be present at the proposed meeting to address concerns regarding alleged police excesses.

"Despite repeated pleas to the transport department and Kolkata Police, our issues remain unaddressed. We have been incurring losses while continuing to operate, but the state remains unresponsive," said Tapan Bandyopadhyay, spokesperson of the Joint Council of Bus Syndicates.

"Every day, a bus has to pay fines ranging from Rs 1,000 to Rs 2,000 to traffic police under the pretext of traffic violations. Our repeated demands to reduce toll taxes at locations such as Vidyasagar Setu and Dankuni have gone unheard. The state has not fulfilled its responsibility to ensure that 15-year-old buses are granted a two-year window, considering the massive losses suffered during the Covid period. We are not asking for charity," Bandyopadhyay asserted.

Bose added, "If the stalemate continues, we may escalate the protest beyond the May 22–25 strike." Currently, around 2,500 private buses operate in Kolkata and surrounding areas, while around 27,000 buses ply across the state.

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