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<\/div>\n<\/div>\nPrivate buses in the city have largely stayed away despite the government offering them a Rs-27 crore package \u2014 or a monthly subsidy of Rs 15,000 for each bus \u2014 over the next three months. The stand-off has resulted in immense commuter pain after resumption of offices and businesses, prompting the government to take a strong view of the bus owners\u2019 \u201cadamant\u201d attitude.
The CM\u2019s stern message to 6,000 private bus operators came after their representatives failed to turn up for a meeting with state transport minister Subhendu Adhikari on Tuesday. \u201cThe transport minister, the chief secretary, the home secretary, the transport secretary have met them. Even I have spoken with them. The government then decided to give them a Rs-27 crore subsidy for three months despite severe financial constraints because I did not want to burden commuters during the pandemic (by hiking bus fares). They gave us their word. But now they are adamant,\u201d Banerjee said, making it clear that she had taken exception to the bus operators reneging on their promise.
\u201cGovernments sometimes have to take unpleasant decisions; both shock and talk are part of our job,\u201d she said, adding that the government would monitor the situation on Wednesday. \u201cBut, if private buses do not resume service, the government has to do something. We will acquire off-road private buses and run them. Drivers and conductors of these buses can work and the government will pay their wages,\u201d Banerjee said.
The time was not right for private bus operators to bargain hard when people were suffering, she said. \u201cPeople are suffering. Individuals are not above people. It is true that fuel prices have been spiralling and transport operators have cited that to seek a fare revision. But what happens when diesel prices go down? Do they adjust fares then?\u201d she asked.
Banerjee made it clear that the government had no problem with restricted movement of people and vehicles within the state but did not want thousands coming to the state by train and flight, particularly from hotspots across the country, to add to the state\u2019s Covid burden.
State chief secretary Rajiva Sinha, in accordance with this two-pronged strategy, wrote to union home secretary Ajay Bhalla, seeking a relaxation of the union home ministry\u2019s lockdown guidelines for the city\u2019s Metro that carries 6 lakh-7 lakh passengers (in normal times); the appeal sought resumption of service for people engaged in essential services as a \u201cspecial case\u201d. But he also urged the civil aviation ministry to suspend flights from hotspots across the country for two weeks, starting from July 6, and regulate flights from other cities. Kolkata, anyway, is not getting any international flight till July 15. <\/div>\n