Bus Crisis Hits Dhupguri, North Bengal Ahead of Elections

Preparations for the upcoming elections are in full swing. In addition to government and commercial vehicles, private cars are also being acquired in some cases. There is an acute bus crisis in Dhupguri, one of the most important junctions in North Bengal. People are unable to reach their destinations even after standing at the terminus for hours. The sufferings of Siliguri and Jalpaiguri-bound passengers, in particular, are at their peak. On Friday, the Dhupguri Municipal Bus Terminus witnessed a horrific scene. A handful of buses are off the road, with no space to park them. Passengers are taking risks with the battered crowd. Raju Roy, an employee of a non-governmental organization, rued, "The hours of work are over, the buses are not visible, the buses are not coming." Santosh Roy, a Siliguri-bound passenger, also reported the same sufferings. According to transport workers, due to the assembly elections and political programs in the neighboring state of Assam, private buses on multiple routes in North Bengal have been hired and many passengers are forced to return to their native places.