Puja revellers in Kolkata, and districts this year would now be able to pandal hop in special buses run by the state government.
The department today has decided to run special bus and ferry services named Puja Parikrama during Durga Puja.
The department has decided to run additional services for people heading for shopping. With swelling crowds at city’s shopping destinations, the department is to run more services to provide ease of travel to commuters while returning.
Like the previous years, the state transport department is to run special services ‘Puja Parikrama 2024’ during the festival days. Continuing with the trend, the department would operate special bus and ferry services. The Puja Parikrama services include packages for ‘bonedi barir’ Puja, of Kolkata and its adjoining areas. The route covers Durga Puja of Badan Chandra Roy and several other bonedi barir puja of the city. Revellers availing the service would have to carry their identity proofs compulsorily.
The department has also announced special packages for seeing the eminent pujas in rural Bengal or the ‘Gram Bangla Puja,’ Jayrambatir Puja, the fare of which has been declared as Rs 2,000, including lunch. This service is to be run on Saptami, Ashtami and Navami days.
The city’s iconic trams that were a part of the Puja Parikrama services, however, have been withdrawn by the department this year. According to the state transport minister Snehasis Chakraborty, the decision to withdraw the puja special tram has been taken following objections from the city traffic police.
The state transport department is also to deploy ‘jatrisahayak’ in all the special buses and ferry services to be operated by it during the upcoming festival of Durga Puja. Apart from this, special ferry services connecting the north and south parts of the city would also be operated during the festive period.