Kolkata | September 9, 2026
Kolkata’s transport department has decided to restore regulated night parking for buses at the earlier rate of Rs 700 per bus per month, following complaints about illegal roadside parking, traffic disruption and interruptions to bus services across the city.
The parking arrangement will apply between 10 pm and 5 am, according to sources cited in the report. Transport minister Arjun Singh told The Times of India that the old rate had been reintroduced after consultations with bus unions.
“It has been decided to reintroduce the old bus parking rates based on my consultation with the bus unions,” Singh said.
The decision follows repeated conflicts involving buses parked on key roads and allegations that illegal parking had narrowed carriageways, contributed to traffic jams and disrupted operations. Route 52, which runs between Ramrajatala and Esplanade, had briefly stopped services amid such disruptions, according to the report.
Bus union leaders welcomed the move, saying that the continuation of the earlier fee would provide operational relief to vehicle owners. Tapan Banerjee of the Joint Council of Bus Syndicate said the night-parking issue had been under discussion after the earlier system was shut down.
“Earlier, night parking had been in operation but was shut down for a long time due to various reasons,” Banerjee said, adding that the arrangement was expected to resume after discussions with the state transport minister. He said the same fee charged under the earlier system would continue.
The restoration of paid night parking is being paired with tighter enforcement against unauthorised bus termini and disorderly roadside parking. Civic authorities and the police are expected to identify approved parking bays along major routes so that buses can be accommodated without obstructing moving traffic.
Kolkata Traffic Police has already held meetings with bus unions regarding parking practices on the EM Bypass. Officers have asked operators to avoid double-lane parking and to keep buses in a single row. The Thakurpukur traffic guard contacted more than 12 bus unions, while the Garia, Tiljala and Kasba traffic guards contacted four other unions operating on the EM Bypass, including route 42, according to the report.
Police said bus owners would be given a few weeks to make alternative arrangements. Prosecutions would follow after that period, the report said. An officer in Behala clarified that operators were not being asked to move their termini, but that buses would have to be parked within marked zones and in a single row.
The arrangement places responsibility on both operators and enforcement agencies: bus owners must use the designated areas without narrowing the road, while civic and traffic authorities must identify and manage the approved parking spaces. The transport department’s next step is the implementation of the night-parking zones and the enforcement timetable.
