Passengers remained apprehensive about the availability of buses, both private and state, by today evening. For tomorrow’s mega rally by Trinamul Congress at Esplanade, there is a concern that bus services will be stretched thin starting from the afternoon.

According to various bus owner associations, most private buses from Kolkata and the districts of North and South 24-Parganas, Howrah and Hooghly have been withdrawn to transport workers and supporters to the ruling party’s rally. A large chunk of buses on various routes, including Garia, Tollygunge, Patuli, Behala, New Alipore in the south of Kolkata, Baranagar, BT Road, Dum Dum, Nagerbazar in the north, and buses passing by Shapoorji bus stand near Salt Lake and New Town in the east, are being withdrawn. Mini buses are also being pulled out of the routes, including almost all on routes via Kidderpore, Metiabruz, Behala, Naktala, and Garia Station.

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Titu Saha, general secretary of the City Suburban Bus Service, stated that approximately 3,900 buses operate daily in the city. Out of these, at least 3,000 buses will be on duty for the rally. However, the owners’ associations prefer to run some buses on routes other than those leading to Esplanade in Kolkata and its suburbs. They are, however, uncertain about the feasibility of this plan. Pradip Narayan Basu, general secretary of the West Bengal Bus-Minibus Owners’ Association, mentioned that the likelihood of buses operating on most routes in north Kolkata is low. He said, “From Saturday afternoon, around 300 buses will be stationed at Kolkata station. These buses will be used to transport workers and supporters arriving by train from various northern districts to their designated accommodations in the city.”