India News | Conductors of Private Buses, Minibuses in Bengal to Be Given Licence
Get latest articles and stories on India at LatestLY. In a significant move to regulate private bus and minibus services in the Kolkata metropolitan area and across West Bengal, the transport department has made it mandatory for bus conductors to obtain licences within a stipulated timeframe.
Kolkata, Jul 18 (PTI) In a significant move to regulate private bus and minibus services in the Kolkata metropolitan area and across West Bengal, the transport department has made it mandatory for bus conductors to obtain licences within a stipulated timeframe.
A senior transport department official told PTI that a notification had been issued by Principal Secretary (Transport), Saumitra Mohan, two days ago with the objective to bring greater accountability to the role of conductors, who serve as a key link between passengers and transport authorities.
"Conductors play a significant role in extending all kinds of support to commuters and are often the first person passengers turn to during emergencies — including incidents involving crimes against women," the official said.
"While drivers have licenses issued by the motor vehicles department, it is difficult to keep track of conductors who are mostly recruited individually by bus owners or unions, and the department has no idea about their identity, antecedents and required experience in the business," he said.
According to the official, only people who meet the minimum criteria will be eligible to apply for a conductor's licence.
"Those applying must have studied up to Class 4, be at least 18 years old, and must submit the necessary supporting documents," he said.
The notification also clarified that drivers who also perform the role of conductor in the same stage carriage will be exempt from obtaining a separate conductor's licence.
"The applicant shall be required to submit a self-declaration regarding their educational qualifications in the prescribed format at the time of applying for a conductor's licence. They must also undertake to submit the required supporting documents within six months of the license being issued," the notice said.
"Non-submission of the requisite supporting document within the stipulated time period may result in revocation of the said conductor license, subject to an opportunity of hearing being afforded to the licencee," the notice added.
Further, a self-declaration with regards to their place of business in the prescribed format will be sufficient for applying for the conductor licence," it added.
The need for a formal regulatory mechanism has been underscored by multiple reports of misconduct involving conductors, including misbehaviour with passengers, altercations with traffic police, and in some instances, physical assaults.
Around 32,000 buses — most of them privately owned stage carriages — currently operate in West Bengal. Except for conductors employed by state-run transport corporations, including contractual workers, there is no official database of private bus conductors, Joint Council of Bus Syndicate General secretary Tapan Banerjee said.
(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)