Kolkata commuters shift to public transport as fuel prices soar
The third consecutive hike in petrol and diesel prices within 10 days in Kolkata is prompting many car owners to reconsider their daily commute. Many individuals who drove to work until Saturday have now decided to use public transport, particularly the Metro and air-conditioned (AC) buses, starting Monday to reduce their reliance on personal vehicles and mitigate the financial strain of rising fuel costs.
On Saturday, the price of petrol climbed to Rs 110.64 per litre, while diesel reached Rs 97.02 per litre. Over the past 10 days, petrol prices have fluctuated between Rs 105.41 and Rs 110.64 per litre, and diesel between Rs 92.02 and Rs 97.02 per litre. In response to the skyrocketing fuel costs, residents are altering their commuting habits.
Arijit Dutt, an employee at a tech firm, expressed his frustration: "Yesterday I filled my car with petrol at Rs 109.66 per litre, but on Saturday I was shocked to see the price had increased by another 98 paise. The distance between my office in Sector V and home in Jadavpur is about 15 km, and driving my own car is no longer viable. I have decided to commute via AC bus from Monday."
Similarly, Sandip Sarkar, a resident of Tollygunge, plans to use the Metro instead of his car for his commute to Park Street. "My home is about 3 km from Tollygunge Metro station. During peak hours, buses and the Metro are overcrowded, so I used my car. But with rising fuel costs, I have decided to switch to public transport from Monday to save money," he said.
Some motorists are adopting hybrid routines to manage expenses. Saptarshi Bhose, from Prince Anwar Shah Road, noted, "With petrol prices increasing, I plan to commute by Metro three days a week and use my car only two days a week to reduce costs." Jayita Biswas, a school teacher from Maniktala who works in Amtala, lamented, "Although I am used to driving my own car, I will not be able to do so next week due to the rising petrol price."
Ankur Das, a Laketown resident in the construction chemicals business, frequently visits various sites across the city. He is troubled by the repeated fuel hikes: "Initially, I considered buying an electric vehicle, but EV prices are also rising. I am rethinking my commuting options."
Motorcyclists are also turning to public transport. Rubai Bhattacharya, from Taltala, who works at a logistics firm in Survey Park, stated, "Using buses or the Metro is my only option to avoid fuel costs burning a hole in my pocket. I will not use my bike for office commute until fuel prices become affordable again."
For more information on local rates and updates, residents can check the latest gold, silver, bank holidays, public holidays, AQI, weather, and fuel prices in Kolkata.
