Bengal govt plans to bring back double-decker buses

The Mamata Banerjee administration is planning to reintroduce double- decker buses in Kolkata more than two decades after they were phased out.

Along with the trams, red double deckers became a much-loved symbol of Kolkata after the British introduced them in the city in 1926, the first route connecting Shyambazar in the north and Kalighat in the south.

Participating in a question-answer session in the assembly on Wednesday, state transport minister Suvendu Adhikari said state transport secretary visited London as part of the plan and has submitted a report.

“He has submitted a report. The proposal is under active consideration. We have plans to launch four to five open- top double decker buses as a pilot project,” he said.

Outside the Assembly the minister refused to divulge details on the routes. “The transport secretary’s report is with the chief minister. She will take the final call and accordingly we will proceed with the plan. All I can say is that we have a positive approach about launching these buses,” Adhikari said.

The Left Front government phased out double-decker buses in the nineties when Jyoti Basu was the chief minister. The government said the cost of maintenance of the aging fleet was very high compared to the revenue the vehicles generated. The then transport minister had said the cost of operation per kilometre of these vehicles was almost double than that of running ordinary buses. The idea of reintroducing double-decker buses was floated in 2013 by transport minister Madan Mitra, who wanted to introduce AC double-deckers exclusively for tourists.

If London and Mumbai can still run double-deckers, why can’t they run again in Kolkata, Mitra argued.

KOLKATA: