During the festival this year, for the first time pandal hoppers benefited from the recently-launched state government’s Yatri Sathi app got cab services in West Burdwan district.

Over 22.64 lakh people in the state are using this app-based cab service and over 45,000 cabs have been registered under this service provider.

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State transport minister Snehashish Chakraborty told The Statesman that after Kolkata, the state government has recently launched in app in Asansol Durgapur Police Commissionerate (ADPC) areas and Siliguri Police Commissionerate areas.

“The Yatri Sathi app has already become highly successful and popular in both Asansol Durgapur Police Commissionerate area and Siliguri Police Commissionerate area after its launch. In future, we have plans to launch the app in other towns and districts of West Bengal,” added the minister.

Not only four wheelers, even two wheelers and auto-rickshaws can be booked through this app.

The ADPC has been entrusted with looking after the entire process after getting sanction from the transport department in Asansol and Durgapur.

The ADPC has already set up Yatri Sathi app kiosks in Asansol railway station, Durgapur railway station and Kazi Nazrul Islam Airport in Andal.

The service has become immensely popular outside the Howrah station and Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport in Dum Dum and in fact the Yatri Sathi app has become more popular than the private app cab service operators in Kolkata.

State transport department sources said that everyday about 450-500 rides were booked in Durgapur and over 150-200 rides in Asansol through the Yatri Sathi app during the four days of Durga Puja.

The app-based cab service was started as a pilot project in Asansol, Durgapur railway stations and Andal airport. The ADPC is entrusted to look after the app-based cab service, said CP of ADPC Sunil Kumar Choudhury. To make it further popular banners and posters were displayed at various popular Durga Puja pandals in Asansol and Durgapur.

“We are really grateful to our chief minister Mamata Banerjee who has allowed us to start the Yatri Sathi service in Asansol and Durgapur, after Kolkata. Not only the drivers and car owners, even travellers are benefitted through this app and we are encouraging more drivers and cab owners to register under this app,” said Raju Ahluwalia, general secretary of INTTUC Transport Workers Union of Asansol.

“The drivers have submitted all the requisite documents and papers to ADPC and were given registration after proper verifications,” said V G Satish Pasumarthi, deputy commissioner (traffic) of ADPC.

Pick-up points for the app-cab service have already been set up in KNI Airport in Andal and Bagdogra Airport in Siliguri for the benefit of the air passengers too.