AGARTALA, June 3 (TIWN): Agreeing to ply Agartala-Dhaka-Kolkata direct bus service and getting green signal from the Govt. of India recently, government of Tripura started its first direct ‘Moitree’ bus service via neighbouring country Bangladesh capital Dhaka on Wednesday. The bus started from Agartala International Bus Terminus, TRTC Complex on 6:00 AM. The bus carrying 8 members’ team under the leadership of State Transport Secretary Samarjit Bhowmik started on June 3, 6:00 AM. According to the state transport department, official during the evening hours the bus would cross the Dhaka-Kolkata border; and at around 10:00 PM the bus would reach Kolkata Salt Lake. Later on June 4rth, the Agartala bus would return to Dhaka and after a night hold on the very day at Dhaka carrying all the 8 members’ team of Transport department here, the bus would return to Agartala on June 5. The 8 members’ team under the leadership of Bhowmik, along with SP Special Branch Arindam Nath, Tripura Urban Transport Corporation (TUTC) Managing Director Ratan Biswas including other two drivers and mechanics. Alongwith the Tripura ‘Moitree’ bus, Kolkata ‘Volvo’ bus which reached here at Agartala on June 2 as part of the trial run, also moved to return back to Kolkata via Dhaka. A high level tripartite meeting was also held on Tuesday among the West Bengal transport officials, Bangladesh officials and state govt. officials, taking up certain issues regarding the Kolkata-Dhaka-Agartala direct bus service.

However it is worthy to mention here that as part of the trial run, Tripura govt. had arranged a normal TRTC bus to ply to Kolkata. State Transport Minister Manik Dey earlier said, “Tripura govt. would purchase air-conditioned bus for Agartala-Dhaka-Kolkata bus service.” He also said, “We have not yet purchased the bus, it may delay. But we have already sent a proposal for it.”

Dey also cleared earlier, “After the bus service would flag off, there will be no problem for the Tripura Govt. to ply bus because we have one good air-conditioned bus ready with the state Urban Transport department.”

On yet another historical stride, Govt. of India for the first time would use the Bangladeshi territory as a transit corridor to reach one of its furthest corners.

For the Kolkata-Tripura route, the state has proposed to run the services from Kolkata thrice a week, with the buses passing through two Indo-Bangla check posts, one at Petrapol-Benapole and the other at Akhaura-Agartala.

However, it was a long-standing demand of the people of Tripura to have a direct bus connection with Kolkata.

People of different sections here are at present facing several hurdles travelling to Kolkata as they have to spend high fares to the airlines. The air connectivity is the only means for the Tripura travelers to travel Kolkata as there is no other way to go through. The BG conversion line is under construction and as a result the train service here has halted for the past several months.