North Bengal State Transport Corporation had launched Volvo bus services from six district headquarters in North Bengal to Digha. This initiative also provided the corporation with a new avenue for revenue. However, Volvo services from Raiganj and Malda have now been withdrawn from among the six buses due to a lack of passengers. Raiganj and Malda were initially connected to the Siliguri Volvo route to provide these premium bus services.
Other route buses are also carrying only a handful of passengers. According to sources, far from generating profit, fuel costs are barely being recovered on these routes. Regarding the question of reducing the number of Volvos, transport corporation chairman Parthapratim Roy said, “buses are being operated according to passenger demand.”
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Volvo bus services of North Bengal State Transport Corporation were launched on various routes in North Bengal on May 28. Starting from Cooch Behar to Alipurduar, Jalpaiguri, Siliguri, Raiganj, and Malda, the corporation initially earned well. But as soon as the festival season ended, ridership declined. According to corporate sources, running a Volvo costs an average of about 50,000 rupees for up-down trips. Each bus has 45 seats, with two of these reserved for staff. The remaining 43 seats are not getting more than 20–25 passengers.
The corporation has also offered discounts on fares to attract passengers. Though the fare from Siliguri to Kolkata is 1,060 rupees, it has been reduced to 900 rupees. If passenger numbers increase, fares are also raised.
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According to sources, private Volvos from Siliguri to Kolkata have reduced fares considerably in November due to the market slowdown. Additionally, sleeper arrangements have been made in several buses, where government services have lagged behind. Though services from Malda and Raiganj have been suspended, officials are not attributing the issue solely to fewer passengers.
They are highlighting maintenance concerns. However, it is known that running empty buses from these two cities has caused considerable financial loss to the corporation. For now, the corporation's focus is on the festival season. They hope that demand for Volvos will increase during the Christmas, year-end, and New Year holidays in December.
