Private bus operators of around 10 routes across Calcutta have threatened to suspend their operations from Wednesday till the state government clears the dues for transporting personnel and materials during the lockdown and even after the unlock process started.

Operators said that between March 26 and September 30, the state government had hired their buses to ferry personnel from hospitals and other government-run establishments to different locations.

After the lockdown was withdrawn in phases, the transport department said it would pay the amount it owed to the operators but that has not happened till date.

“Over 40 buses and minibuses were hired during the period. The outstanding amount is in excess of Rs 52 lakh. The owners of the buses on around 10 routes have told us that they would suspend their operations from tomorrow till the dues are cleared,” said Pradip Narayan Bose, of the West Bengal Bus and Mini Bus Owners Association.

“The owners have been struggling to remain afloat during the pandemic and the state government has made the situation even worse by not clearing the dues. Unless the owners get their dues, they can't pay their workers.”

The buses the government hired run on the New Alipore-Ruby, Park Circus-Purbachal Housing Estate (Salt Lake), Majerhat-Kidderpore, Rajabagan-Howrah, Esplanade-Akra Phatak and Pailan-Howrah station routes, among others.

On Tuesday, a section of bus owners and their staff demonstrated at the office of the transport department in Kasba demanding that the dues be cleared immediately. The agitating owners and employees said they would wait for another 10 days before heading to Nabanna with their demands.

“The price of diesel is around Rs 78 a litre. There aren’t enough passengers and even then we have to keep running the buses because the service is considered essential. But what about our payments? Isn’t it essential?” asked an owner, whose bus runs on the 42C route.

Transport department officials said buses were hired during the lockdown for Rs 1,910 a day and minibuses for Rs 1,580 a day. The state government provided fuel and paid money to the staff to buy tiffin.

“The bulk of the payment has been done. The rest is in the process of getting clearance from the finance department,” said an official of the transport department.

The operators said they had been paid part of the promised amount in June. Since then, they have not got anything.