Kolkata will get around 90 additional government buses during the Puja period, with the West Bengal Transport Department also extending services at night and offering special tram, ferry and heritage-tour packages for visitors. The new fleet will include compressed natural gas and battery-operated buses for the city and its suburbs.
Transport Minister Arjun Singh announced the Puja parikrama packages at the state Transport Department’s Maidan tent on Thursday in the presence of departmental officials. The packages, which will cover several traditional household Puja venues in Kolkata and nearby areas, are priced between ₹800 and ₹2,400 per person, according to the department.
The additional buses are being introduced to strengthen public transport during the festival, when commuter and visitor demand rises sharply across Kolkata and its suburban corridors. The department will continue operating buses during the day and night, including services until at least 10 pm during the Puja shopping period. On Puja days, services are expected to be organised in two broad periods: from 2 pm to 10 pm and from 10 pm to morning. The final bus numbers and operating plan are still being discussed at the government level.
The deployment falls short of the state government’s earlier indication that at least 200 new buses would be placed on the roads before Puja. The number currently planned is around 90, according to the report. The transport department has not yet announced a final route-wise allocation for the additional buses.
Alongside regular bus operations, the West Bengal Transport Corporation plans to run Puja sightseeing services using luxury air-conditioned buses, trams and water transport. An air-conditioned tram will operate between Shyambazar, Esplanade and Gariahat, with passengers able to travel using special tickets. A special vessel service is also planned for the evening of Bijoya Dashami, allowing passengers to view idol immersions at several ghats along the Ganga.
The heritage-tour packages will include traditional Puja venues in Bagbazar, Shobhabazar and Behala, as well as the family Pujas at Chhatu Babu-Latu Babu’s residence and Rani Rashmoni’s house. Tours to selected heritage households in the suburbs and to Puja destinations at Dhanyakuria, Arbelia, Kamarpukur and Joyrambati will also be offered. Lunch is included in the listed packages.
Tickets will be sold at the Esplanade tram depot and government bus terminals at Kankurgachi S-14, Jadavpur, Garia, Barasat, Tollygunge and Barrackpore. The special Puja package tickets will also be available online. The department has additionally indicated that it is considering further measures to restore tram services in the state, although no detailed implementation plan was announced in the report.
