AGARTALA, June 12 (TIWN): At last Tripura Government showing rush for buying bus prior to kick off formal Agartala-Kolkata direct bus service via Bangladesh capital Dhaka. The West Bengal Government is already ready with their two Volvo buses to ply in the vice versa route. According to the highly placed sources of the State Transport Department, informed that Secretary for transport, Samarjit Bhowmik recently called Tripura Road Transport Corporation (TRTC) for an urgent meeting taking up the issue of buying bus for plying Agartala-Kolkata via Dhaka route.The source confirmed that very soon at least two buses would arrive to Agartala, which were earlier proposed for by the Tripura Government. Besides, the Transport Dept. has been planning to facilitate the passengers with better bus services. A total of two air-conditioned buses would be brought here very soon, but it has no plan to buy Volvo at present because it costs high than any other buses.Already West Bengal Government invested high amount for buying two Volvo buses, each at the cost of Rs 80lakhs, whereas it has also been learnt that the Bangladesh Government would also ply its bus in the route.At present Tripura Government is plying Moitree bus to Dhaka whereas Bangladesh has come up with its Shyamali service from Dhaka to Agartala and vice versa.Quality of TRTC buses are substandard, trial bus from Agartala was a newly painted old bus which gave mechanical troubles and somehow completed the trial run.

 Due to lack of invitation to Tripura CM in June 6 Modi-Hasina historic meet, Govt is not keen to purchase luxury buses like Volvo at Agartala.

However, it has been a long term demand of the Tripura government to start direct bus service between Agartala and Kolkata via Bangladesh Dhaka, but interestingly the State Govt. here had failed to start the service despite Modi-Hasina flagged off the service on June 6.

To start the bus service soon has of course become a matter of concern for Tripura Government. But it is also mentionable here that the fare of the bus service is yet to be finalised as the West Bengal Government had planned to fix it on Rs. 2000 and the Tripura Government refusing it had asked the West Bengal government to down it into Rs. 1500 for the sake of the land-locked people here.

However once the TRTC gives a green signal to the bus service on yet another historical blow, the direct bus service between Agartala and Kolkata via Dhaka and vice versa would commence with the service to benefit the poor people of the state at large and would respite them from paying high fares to the airlines companies.