‘Save public transport’: Operators question 15-year bus rule, seek uniform policy across states

Private bus operators in West Bengal on Monday urged the state government and the judiciary to reconsider the policy of scrapping commercial vehicles that are more than 15 years old.

In a representation to the government, the apex operators' body, the Joint Council of Bus Syndicate recalled that the Calcutta High Court had directed in 2009 that no commercial vehicle older than 15 years would be allowed to operate in the Kolkata Metropolitan Area (KMA) from August 1, 2009.

The operators urged the government and the court to consider the economic implications of the policy before taking a final decision, noting that thousands of bus owners and workers, along with their families, depend on the transport sector.

Banerjee said they are urging the transport department to ensure old vehicles—whose tailpipe emissions don't cross pollution limits and conform to guidelines - are not scrapped despite having passed 15 years of age and are allowed to ply on roads in city and KMA areas.

Proposal to upgrade older buses

Instead of scrapping the 15-year-old buses completely, the operators proposed replacing or upgrading bus engines and introducing measures specifically targeting the sources of pollution.

The Calcutta High Court in November 2025 granted conditional relief allowing 15-year-old stage carriage buses to operate within the Kolkata Metropolitan Area (KMA) provided they pass biannual fitness and pollution tests.

"Commercial public transport operators have lost sleep over the issue. Save public transport," Banerjee said.

Operators question uniformity of rule

The syndicate also questioned whether a similar rule is uniformly applicable across the country and sought information on the status of the 15-year-old vehicle rule in other states.

"Law should be applicable equally to everyone," Syndicate general secretary Tapan Bannerjee said on Monday, adding that according to legal experts' submission earlier, vehicles complying with prescribed pollution standards should not be scrapped merely on the basis of their age.

The operators said vehicular pollution could be addressed through stricter emission testing and better-quality fuel rather than scrapping all older buses.

"If diesel is refined further and pollution tests are conducted every six months, a substantial part of the problem can be addressed," Bannerjee said.

2,500 private buses affected

They also recalled that the court had stressed the need to increase green cover in and around Kolkata as part of measures to tackle pollution.

The syndicate said they supported the objective of creating a pollution-free society but opposed what they described as blanket scrapping of buses in a manner that could benefit vehicle manufacturers while imposing a heavy financial burden on bus owners.

An estimated 2,500 private buses ply in the city and neighbourhood.