With Madhyamik and higher secondary exam timings preponed, the state Transport Department is considering running services from as early as 5 am during the upcoming board exams. A high level meeting of the stakeholders including officials of Madhyamik and higher secondary boards, Transport Department and the Railways was held yesterday at Maidan Tent. The meeting was held to chalk out plans for the upcoming exams.
As informed by the state transport minister, Snehasis Chakraborty, considering the revised timings of the exams efforts are being made to operate buses, trains, ferry services and vehicles of last mile connectivity at local levels including autos and totos in sufficient numbers. “Like every year we have decided to provide adequate services to the examinees and the teachers this year also so that they do not face problems in reaching the exam centre or while returning home.
The various modes of public transport like Rail, buses, metros, autos and totos are all being connected to provide services from 5 am in the entire state,” said the Transport minister. “Emphasis is being given to provide adequate services between 5 am to 10 am during the exams. We have also requested the Railways to increase the frequency of trains between 5 am and 10 am and to reduce galloping ones.
We are also communicating with various associations of buses, autos, totos and so on to enable a sufficient number of buses. Whatever number of vehicles we have, the entire fleet would be rolled out from 5 am to provide ease of travel to examinees, parents and teachers,” added Mr Chakraborty.
Apart from this, the department has also decided to open control rooms in various transport corporations including North Bengal State Transport Corporation (NBSTC), South Bengal State Transport Corporation (SBSTC) and West Bengal Transport Corporation (WBTC) in addition to the RTOs of all the districts