Latest news with #SnehasisChakraborty
Hindustan Times
25-06-2025
- Business
- Hindustan Times
Bengal transport minister to hold talks with private bus owners associations
Kolkata, West Bengal Transport Minister Snehasis Chakraborty said he will hold discussion with private bus owners associations in the first week of July for modernising the transport fleet, to make it commuter friendly. Bengal transport minister to hold talks with private bus owners associations The initiatives include introducing the 'Yatri Sathi' app across the transport sector for giving real-time updates about arrival of buses at designated stops. Speaking to PTI, the minister said in the Yatri Sathi app where is my bus feature has already been rolled out in certain routes run by the state transport department in the city as a pilot project, all state undertaking buses will be gradually brought under its anvil by this year. "However, we need to thrash out certain issues with the private bus operators on the issue citing the cost of buying a smartphone for their drivers which will be linked with the app. Apart from bus owners unions, there are unions of bus employees and we need to take them on board. They are arguing a mobile will not cost less than ₹ 8,000 and cite the economy factor and the earning from a bus after several trips," he said. Chakraborty said the transport department has plans to put up digital display boards across bus shelters in the city and neighbourhood and make the waiting time for passengers minimal by streamlining the system. "We are sympathetic to the concern of bus operators and the economic affordability issue. We are also mulling over the idea of bearing the cost of installing android phones in private bus driver cabins by involving some parties. But we have to contemporize the present transport system and infrastructure in the city proper and the surrounding metropolitan area," he added. The minister said to another question, that to minimise the number of road mishaps, the government will also prevail upon bus operators to install mirrors which will cover the blind spot in the driver's cabin. A state transport official said the app has already been introduced on a pilot basis in several state bus routes covering south Kolkata and the area contiguous to airport and sector V Salt Lake and New Town. West Bengal Private Bus and Minibus Owners Association spokesperson Pradip Narayan Bose said the state is exerting pressure on private bus owners to introduce Yatri Sathi's Where is my bus at least in some vehicles by July 25. "We have put forward some proposals at a meeting - i.e. official ratification of ₹ 10 as first stage bus fare, bringing state and private buses under same permit system, making advertising agencies pay ₹ 12,000 annually for carrying back panel advertising boards and improve the road infrastructure," he said. If the state insists without accommodating these concerns, many of the bus/mini buses will stop plying due to non-viability in business, he said. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
Time of India
24-06-2025
- Time of India
State plans transport regulations, toto curbs in Digha ahead of festival
1 2 3 Kolkata: The transport department has announced comprehensive measures to regulate public transportation in Digha ahead of Rath Yatra. The district administration plans to establish a temporary bus stand behind the Digha helipad, while bus operators have been warned against overcharging passengers. "We expect additional services from both govt and private sectors. We need to arrange for their entry and exit without crowding the main thoroughfare or the marine road," said an officer at Bhawani Bhawan. You Can Also Check: Kolkata AQI | Weather in Kolkata | Bank Holidays in Kolkata | Public Holidays in Kolkata State transport minister Snehasis Chakraborty said only 900 of the 1,800 registered totos will be allowed to operate on alternate days. The initiative comes as tourists reported widespread price gouging, with rickshaw fares between Old Digha and New Digha surging from Rs 20 to Rs 100 per person. Local authorities are working with toto unions to establish fixed fares and cops have set up kiosks for tourists to report travel-related grievances. Indian Railways will operate additional services between Panskura and Digha from June 25 to July 10, 2025. (Inputs from Sujoy Khanra in Panskura)
Time of India
30-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
GRSE begins building 13 all-weather hybrid ferries for Kolkata's Hooghly route
Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Popular in Transportation 1. Noida airport partners with Uber to offer app-based taxi services Kolkata: Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) Ltd inaugurated the construction of 13 hybrid ferries which will operate in all-weather conditions on River Hooghly in the Kolkata Metropolitan Area (KMA), from Triveni in the north to Diamond Harbour in the ferries are poised to bring change in river transportation, by reducing pollution and offering comfortable journey for the of the ferries were laid for all 13 ferries at a ceremony on Thursday, which was attended by West Bengal Transport Minister Snehasis Chakraborty, Minister of State for Transport Dilip Mondal, Chairperson and Managing Director of GRSE CMDE P.R. Hari, IN (Retd.), Chairperson of WBTIDCL Dr. Moinul Hassan, and other senior of the 13, six ferries will have twin decks with a capacity of 200 passengers each. The main deck will be air-conditioned and the vessels will be about 30 meters long and 8-10 meters wide. The estimated cost of these six vessels is around Rs 126 crore, GRSE said in a statement. The remaining seven vessels will have a single deck with a passenger capacity of 100. These seven vessels are expected to cost nearly Rs 100 a bid to promote environment friendly green transport initiative , the vessels, which are built for the West Bengal Transport Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd. (WBTIDCL), will replace ageing diesel had signed a contract with the Bengal Transport Department for the design and construction of the 13 hybrid ferries in November last year.'We are proud to spearhead the green initiatives of the West Bengal government and I am confident that we shall design & deliver high quality vessels to minimize the carbon emission in the maritime sector,' CMDE Hari Transport Minister Snehasis Chakraborty praised GRSE's shipbuilding excellence for delivering 'Dheu', India's largest and fastest fully electric ferry, now operational between Kolkata and Belur had earlier designed and built a next generation zero-emission ferry for the state government, named 'Dheu'. It was delivered on January 9, 2025 and is now operating on the River Hooghly.
The Hindu
29-05-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
GRSE begins construction of 13 hybrid ferries for Hooghly river service
Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) on Thursday inaugurated the construction of 13 hybrid ferries intended to operate along the Hooghly river within the Kolkata Metropolitan Area. Keels were laid for all 13 ferries at a ceremony attended by West Bengal Transport Minister Snehasis Chakraborty, Minister of State for Transport Dilip Mondal, Chairperson and Managing Director of GRSE Cmde. P.R. Hari, IN (Retd.), Chairperson of WBTIDCL Dr. Moinul Hassan, and other senior officials. The vessels, being built for the West Bengal Transport Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd. (WBTIDCL), are expected to replace ageing diesel ferries and support the State's broader green transport initiative. GRSE had signed a contract with the State Transport Department on November 19, 2024, for the design and construction of these ferries. According to a statement issued by GRSE, the ferries are designed to operate in all-weather conditions across the Hooghly stretch, from Triveni in the north to Diamond Harbour in the south. The Hooghly forms part of National Waterway-1, also known as the Ganga-Bhagirathi-Hooghly River System. The ferries will be equipped with hybrid electric propulsion systems, powered by both batteries and diesel generators. 'The hybrid system will offer greater flexibility to the operator to switch from one mode to the other as per requirement, allowing for greater safety. The use of batteries will reduce pollution substantially,' the company said. The vessels will be constructed using aluminium and fibre-reinforced polymer (FRP) and will feature a catamaran hull design for better stability and efficiency. Six of the 13 ferries, with twin decks and air-conditioned main decks, are estimated to cost ₹126 crore. Each of these 30-metre-long vessels will accommodate 200 passengers and operate at a maximum speed of 12 knots, requiring a crew of five. The remaining seven vessels, expected to cost nearly ₹100 crore, will have single decks with a 100-passenger capacity. These will be approximately 25 metres in length and 8 metres in width, with a top speed of 9 knots. Each vessel will be manned by a five-member crew. Speaking at the ceremony, Transport Minister Snehasis Chakraborty said the new ferries would gradually replace older diesel-powered vessels. He also highlighted the operation of Dheu, one of India's largest and fastest fully electric ferries, manufactured by GRSE, currently operating between Kolkata and Belur Math. 'We are proud to spearhead the green initiatives of the Government of West Bengal, and I am confident that we shall design and deliver high-quality vessels to minimise the carbon emission in the maritime sector,' Cmde. Hari said.
Time of India
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Buses threaten 3-day strike after talks with state fail
1 2 Kolkata: The meeting between the Bengal transport department and five major private bus operators ' associations failed to resolve an ongoing stand-off on Monday, as the associations confirmed they would proceed with a three-day statewide strike of stage carriage buses starting May 22. Despite several meetings with senior transport officials, including transport secretary Saumitra Mohan, the associations, united under the banner Besarkari Jatri Paribahan Banchao Committee , remained firm on their decision to protest. Their demands include a two-year extension for buses over 15 years old and an end to what they allege is persistent police harassment over traffic violations, and fare revision. "It is unfortunate that the bus operators decided to continue with the strike. Our govt is sympathetic to their demands, and many issues are under review. A strike is not a solution — it only causes immense inconvenience to the public," said state transport minister Snehasis Chakraborty. If the strike happens, over 2,000 buses will go off the roads. Chakraborty said the govt will deploy its full fleet of public transport and ensure that buses not participating in the strike are not forcibly stopped. "We will take legal action against any coercive tactic. We hope the associations will reconsider and call off the strike." However, association leaders indicated no breakthrough was in sight. P N Bose, spokesperson for the Inter and Intra Region Bus Association, expressed cautious optimism, saying, "Let's hope against hope." Tapan Banerjee , secretary of Joint Council of Bus Syndicates, cited severe financial distress in the sector. "Private bus operators are yet to recover from Covid-era losses. The govt hasn't offered a viable financial package. On top of that, false traffic violations and heavy fines are hurting us." He also noted that a letter was sent to the Chief Minister's Office seeking inter-vention but has received no response yet. Currently, approximately 3,500 private buses operate in Kolkata and surrounding areas, while 27,000 ply statewide. The transport community remains divided on the strike. Titu Saha, secretary of City Suburban Bus Service, said, "We neither support nor oppose the strike. Our buses will run. We don't want commuters to suffer. While many demands are valid, cutting off dialogue through a strike is counterproductive."
