With a soft whisper, the bus doors opened, and passengers boarded in a calm, orderly manner. Inside, the atmosphere felt warm and welcoming. On some buses, “bus hostesses”, much like flight attendants greeted passengers with folded hands. The seats were plush and far more comfortable than an economy-class flight, while the lighting inside was bright yet soothing. Curtains framed the windows, adding to the premium feel.
Once the air-conditioned bus began its journey, there was barely any jerking. The ride was smooth as it rolled out of the Dharmatala bus stand and set off towards Siliguri.
From Rocket bus to AC Volvo
Getting train tickets to North Bengal at any time of the year is almost like winning a lottery. The price of flight tickets to Bagdogra is mostly beyond the reach of ordinary people. In this situation, AC Volvo bus service has brought revolutionary changes to the road transport system between South and North Bengal.
Shyamali Paribahan, Greenline, EzyRide, Raipur Cruiser, Express Line and several other private organisations provide regular services on this route. Several years ago, there were no buses other than the 'Rocket Bus' for bus service between Kolkata and Siliguri. Starting from there, within a few years, the situation has reached a point where an average of 90 AC buses ply this route every day. Most importantly, no bus goes empty.
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In this regard, Rahul Chattopadhyay, General Secretary of All Bengal Bus-Minibus Coordination Committee, an organization of private bus owners, says, "The type of buses that are now being deployed for service on such long routes cost around one crore 20 lakh rupees. Businessmen invest such huge amounts of money only when they do not doubt profit."
One of the main reasons for the high price of buses is the passenger comfort arrangements in these buses. Besides this, to reduce jerking, advanced shock absorbers are used, and to ensure safety, every bus has 'full air disc brake' and Electronic Braking System (EBS) along with Electronic Vehicle Stability Control (EVSC).
Advanced service at train fare
Arun Ghosh, head of Shyamali Paribahan, says, "The fare for traveling from Kolkata to Siliguri in this type of bus is one and a half thousand rupees. Almost equivalent to AC two-tier fare in trains. If we cannot satisfy passengers by charging them more fare, then we cannot survive in business. This is why we are so meticulous about service."
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Demand for fare control
Samrat Sanyal of Himalayan Hospitality and Tourism Development Network acknowledges that the transformation of road transport between South and North Bengal through such AC buses has impacted North Bengal's economy, "Not all passengers who travel daily between South and North Bengal are tourists. The number of college-university students, people who come for jobs, businessmen, their numbers are not insignificant either. The improvement in bus service has benefited them."
Swarup Bhattacharya, Joint Secretary of the Association of Tourism Service Providers of Bengal (ATSPB), says, "The problem is only in one place. If maximum and minimum limits of ticket prices are set for this private bus service between North and South, then it would be good in all respects. Because, during Puja time or holidays, the ticket price of such buses increases from one and a half thousand to up to five thousand rupees."
