Overview
- The state formally flagged off 50 new air‑conditioned buses on Tuesday, July 21, to run on 24 routes across Kolkata and nearby areas including services to the airport, Howrah and Esplanade.
- Official accounts differ on the 50‑bus mix: the Transport Department reported 47 CNG and three electric buses, while the chief minister said the batch comprised 43 CNG and seven EVs.
- Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari pledged 1,000 new environment‑friendly buses over the next year and said a proposal for an additional 400 buses is pending approval; the transport minister separately outlined plans for 3,000 inter‑state Volvo coaches as a future rollout.
- Officials warned of major operational strains, reporting between 600 and 700 state buses lying defunct in depots and widespread mechanical problems in active vehicles, and they cited enforcement difficulties with large informal Toto e‑rickshaw fleets.
- The government said it will upgrade bus terminals and jetties and coordinate with central schemes such as the Water Metro and UDAN to integrate inland waterways, tourism boat services and regional air links as part of the modernization drive.