Commuters in Kolkata and three adjoining districts faced a tough time on Thursday with various transport associations taking their buses and taxis off the roads in response to a strike demanding increase in passenger fares following the hike in diesel prices.
The transport associations earlier ignored an appeal by the government to withdraw the strike.
In the city, office-goers and school children were put to great hardship in the absence of nearly 1,800 mini-buses and 30,000 taxis on the roads.
Many commuters were found waiting at bus stops for a good length of time
as attendance in schools plummeted.
Besides mini-buses and taxis, a large number of private buses remained off the roads in the city and three adjoining districts of North 24-Parganas, Howrah and Hooghly in support of the strike.
Earlier, Transport Minister Subrata Bakshi had appealed to the transporters to withdraw the strike seeking time to consider the demands of a hike in passenger fares.
However, the largest operators' unions Bengal Bus Syndicate and the Joint Council of Bus Syndicates did not join the strike.
However, Metro services came to the rescue of many commuters whose offices or schools fell on or near the route of the trains.
