Daijiworld Media Network – Kolkata

Kolkata, Nov 16: Bus operators across Kolkata have welcomed the West Bengal government’s draft notification allowing stage carriage buses over 15 years old to continue plying in the Kolkata Metropolitan Area (KMA), provided they obtain bi-annual fitness certificates.

The draft, presented before the Calcutta High Court, led the court to dispose of a petition filed by private bus owners after noting that their grievances had been addressed. Justice Rai Chattopadhyay allowed the government to publish the notification at the earliest.

According to the draft, buses registered in the KMA “shall be allowed to ply beyond 15 years of age from the day of initial registration,” clearing long-standing concerns among operators.

Tapan Banerjee, Secretary of the Joint Council of Bus Syndicate, welcomed the judgment, calling it a major relief after a battle that began in 2024. “All members can now complete fitness certificates, pollution certificates, permit renewals and all motor vehicle–related works as per rules, without any obstruction,” he said. He added that even after 15 years, all documents can be renewed normally.

Banerjee, who also heads the Route 24 bus syndicate, said the organisation, along with City Suburban Bus Service, had moved the high court to oppose the age limit on buses. The judgment, he said, “has ended our long trouble.”

In 2024, the Route 24 syndicate had sought a two-year grace period for buses that had exceeded the 15-year mark, citing losses during the pandemic. Bus syndicate members noted that the number of buses in the KMA had dropped sharply from 12,000 before 2009 to around 3,000 by the end of 2025.

The new notification is expected to ease operational hurdles and bring stability to Kolkata’s struggling private bus sector.