Kolkata minibus routes on the way of extinction

The red and yellow minibuses of Kolkata are on the way of complete extinction, just like yellow taxis from the map of city's public transport system. An approximate estimate by city's minibus unions put October 2025 as the deadline when barely 10 percent of the once 1900-strong fleet will still be in a condition to hit the road. 

A study by the Kolkata Bus-o-pedia has found that around 10 minibuses routes per year - in the past 4 years - are either on the verge of being shut or entirely shut. Hardly 7 minibus routes of around 45 in the city presently have 20 or more buses left. General secretary of Kolkata Bus-o-pedia, Aniket Banerjee said, "Losing or severely crippling 40 routes around the pandemic is something that does not augur well for the city's transport system." 

Just like for private buses, 2 factors, taken together, have made the business unviable for bus operators, said experts. The first one is stricter pollution control norms, the second is an absence of a fare hike, in spite of steep, multiple revisions in fuel price. 

The cost of running those buses make the survival of minibuses more difficult. The Minibus Operators Coordination Committee member Swapan Ghosh said, " The cost of running minibuses is barely 5-10 percent less than normal buses. However, compared to the 38 seating spaces and 35-40 standing spaces for buses, we have a seating capacity of 27 passengers and 20-25 can stand. That's around losing more than 200 passengers per day when compared to a normal bus that makes three trips a day."