Several routes in Kolkata witnessed a nearly 40 per cent drop in the fleet strength of private buses and minibuses since Thursday morning following the rise in the diesel price beyond Rs 100 per litre, operators said.
Many owners said they decided to withdraw buses and minibuses from roads following the price hike.
Commuters had to wait for hours for buses on comparatively longer routes such as Barasat (North 24-Parganas) to Howrah or Falta (South 24-Parganas) to Babughat as a number of vehicles were withdrawn.
Across Kolkata, too, there were fewer buses and taxis.
At least half a dozen bus and minibus owners in Kolkata said the price rise was the last blow to the industry, which has been struggling to survive since the outbreak of Covid.
