November 4, 2018
State transport Corporations witness revenue hike during Durga Puja
The revenue generation of all the three corporations of the State Transport Department has increased during Durga Puja.
It may be mentioned that the three corporations — West Bengal Transport Corporation (WBTC), South Bengal State Transport Corporation (SBSTC) and North Bengal State Transport Corporation (NBSTC) — had made elaborate arrangements to ferry people to different puja pandals. This time there was also option for online booking.
The revenue of WBTC from Chaturthi to Navami increased to around Rs 4 crore from Rs 3 crore in 2017. Similarly, the revenue generation of SBSTC during Puja was Rs 3.38 crore in 2018, which was Rs 2.67 crore in 2017. Again, the revenue generation of NBSTC was Rs 2.69 crore this year compared to Rs 2.12 crore in 2017.
According to senior officials of the Transport Department, better infrastructure and services ensured the increase in revenue generation.
There were eight different services of WBTC including tours to bonedi barir puja (traditional form of worship performed by well-to-do families), pujas in Kolkata and its surrounding areas, Kolkata’s pujas in luxurious buses, and tour to Jayrambati and Kamarpukur. There were also arrangements for visits to pandals in north Kolkata through waterways. Provision was also there for Puja tours in air-conditioned trams.
Similarly, both SBSTC and NBSTC had made arrangements to take people in buses for tours of rajbaris, Bonedi bari and other famous Pujas in south and north Bengal. In north Bengal, there were arrangements for puja parikramas (tours) in Cooch Behar, Jalpaiguri and Malda districts.
