Buses in Kolkata

I recently got a chance to ride on the buses of Kolkata city. Trust me, my respect for Bangalore buses and their service has gone up multi-fold after seeing the Kolkata buses. It's true that they're quite economical for the reason that they are run by many private parties along with the state transport amidst stiff competition. But the condition of the buses are pathetic. It's even OK to travel during the day. The dim lights that 'illuminate' these small buses at night are even more depressing.

The seats are more of benches than seats. There is some hard cushioning at the bottom, if you're lucky, but you have hurt your back if you lean on the back rest. I found standing to be more comfortable that sitting on those seats. The left row is meant for the ladies while the right one for the men. Because they're run by private people, they stop indefinitely sometimes at a stop to gather enough people to proceed. However this problem is limited to Sundays and holidays only as otherwise they're mostly overcrowded.

I had heard before that BMTC buses, the ones in Bangalore, are some of the best in the country. It was hard for me to imagine while I was there in Bangalore, looking at those overcrowded buses with people oozing out of the doors. But, talking the condition, frequency and comfort, I must say they're much better than those of many other places that I have seen in India.