KOLKATA: Bengal’s transport minister Suvendu Adhikari on Wednesday introduced more buses in existing routes and new routes to ease woes of Behala-Thakurpukur commuters, following the collapse of Majerhat bridge. Adhikari put emphasis on peak hour shuttle bus services to ferry commuters to railway network, be it metro, circular or suburban service.Adhikari on Wednesday announced bus services operated by West Bengal Transport Corporation (WBTC) from Joka to Majerhat Railway station , which offers circular train connectivity to Dalhousie and suburban railway services to offer fast transportation to Ballygunge, Sealdah. The bus of route M17 will ferry commuters from Joka to Majerhat and Majerhat to Joka. Hitherto, there has no public transport system to and from the railway station.Adhikari also asked WBTC to realign and strengthen M15. The bus, which was ferrying passengers to Tollygunge Metro Station via Tollygune Phari will now extend till Kalighat metro station instead of Tollygunge Station. The bus would move along Tollygunge Circular Road. Instead of seven buses, from now on 15 buses will be plying on this route.Buses of M16, which plies between Behala Chowrasta and Tollygunge Metro Station will also be strengthened. Instead of 20 buses, now 30 buses will be plying along this alignment. Besides, routes like 4C and 3A will be strengthened further between 8am and 11pm.The transport department aims to reduce commuters’ dependence on autos, which tends to fleece passengers when demand supply gaps widens. Adhikari said that two enforcement squads from the transport department will now be camping at Behala – New Alipore to contain fleecing of passengers.

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