CHANGING PROFILE OF STATE TRANSPORT UNDERTAKINGS IN MASS TRANSPORT SERVICES: A CASE OF KOLKATA CITY
Keywords:
MTS, STUs, Private Buses, Network affectivity, Economic PerformanceAbstract
Dimensions of transport development in the city of Kolkata go through different phases and processes of socio-economic and political alteration. On the verge of modal transformation of road based Mass Transport Services (MTS) in the late fifties of the last century, both government and private buses dominated over the trafficscape of Kolkata. But the gradual privatization of bus services in the changing socio – political scenario engulfed the government organizations which ultimately lost its spectrum on the National State Transport (NST) scenario. At present the subsidy based State Transport Undertakings (STUs) of Kolkata is unable to cater the growing passenger demand even within the magnetic core of this city. The gradual deterioration of the government bus services should be revived in order to maintain the traffic balance, not only with the private buses of this city but also with other STUs of India. Hence, this paper attempts to compare and contrast the changing conditions of STUs with private bus services by analyzing its network affectivity, fickle economic performance and socio – political constraints in spatio – temporal framework. Attempt has also been made to identify the possible way outs and examine the veracity to survive and revive the STCs in the city of Kolkata.
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References
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